WHERE AGE IS TRULY JUST A NUMBER

Last weekend (Dec 2011) I was in New Delhi to attend the wedding of my very close friend's daughter. The week-long pre-wedding festivities gave me an opportunity to observe and learn about the customs and rituals of a Sikh wedding, and also get to know more about the Sikh commuity.

At the temple to observe the wedding rites

Like Alice discovering Wonderland, I soaked up the rich cultural experience. I donned the salwar kameez, wore a bindi on my forehead, and even had mehendi done on my arms. I sampled every vegetarian dish that was served. Even when my diet wouldn't permit me to take a bite of the mutton or chicken, it didn't stop me from sampling the curry that went with the meat dishes. I found everything fascinating and whatever I didn't understand, my new Sikh friends were ever eager to enlighten me.

For many of the overseas guests, it was their first taste of Sikh cuisine.

The salad section was a hit with the older guests.



Aside from the food, the entertainment and the ceremonies all of which I thoroughly enjoyed, what impressed me most were the people, to be more specific, the older members of Sohrab's extended family of aunties and uncles. If Singapore's Council for Third Age were looking for role models for their active ageing campaigns, they would have plenty to choose from here.


Sikh women are absolutely stunning and regal in their looks and demeanor. They are the epitome of graceful ageing. The men are equally good-looking, well-built and carry themselves extremely well.



Everywhere I looked, there were men and women in their 50s, 60s and 70s who could have easily graced the covers of AARP magazine. The men I spoke with were charming and affable, and the women gracious and friendly. All of them were well-read and much-travelled. Many had settled in the US and Europe, and had returned to Delhi for the wedding celebrations, and for a family reunion.

Let me introduce a few of these seniors who have impressed me with their dynamism and positive outlook on life. Every one of them is an inspiration to the rest of us.

Ninu and Jitinder. "Love grows," says Ninu.

Ninu, 53, is a home-based designer of exotic jewellery. She spent her early years in Japan and now resides in LA with her husband, Jitinder, 60, and their two sons. Vivacious, articulate and fun-loving, Ninu certainly lives life to the fullest. "Don't live in the past. The past is history, the future is mystery, so make the most of the present." Good advice that we should all take to heart.

It was easy to single out Bobby Oberoi, 60. At over six feet tall, he certainly stood out among the wedding guests. "Don't take life too seriously." Although the advice didn't come from him, he could have just as well given it as he kept me in stitches with his wit and wonderful sense of humour throughout our short interview.

What he did share with me was this: "Never think of harming anyone because bad thoughts come back to you manifold. Live your life as if you have no time left, and don't put off doing what you want to do. Just do it." Advice taken, Bobby. I just wish there were more seniors back home who shared your life philosophy.


Age has not slowed down the groom's father, Arvinder, one bit. At 59, he is a tennis champion in the veteran category and has competed in international tournaments in the UK and Australia. He plans to compete in the US next year. Way to go, Arvinder! (Pic: the groom's parents, Arvinder and Pinky, looking on as the newly-weds feed each other a piece of their wedding cake.)

Then there is Manjit, 76, who used to work as a financial systems IT analyst in New York. Since retiring at age 71 she has more time to indulge in her passion - singing religious songs and enjoying Indian classical music.

I ask her what makes Sikh men and women age so well. It's the genes, diet and the environment, she tells me. Most Sikhs are vegetarians. Their diet is rich in calcium - lots of milk and yoghurt in their cooking. That probably explains why almost every senior Sikh that I saw stood tall and straight. No bent backs or knees anywhere at the garden party. No visible signs of osteoporosis as far as I could tell.

Finally, there's Jenny, 55, recently retired and, together with her Australian husband, now runs a bed-and-breakfast alpine retreat in Porepunkah, Victoria. Her advice: "Keep busy. Stay active and plan your retirement".

If I've learned anything from all these distinguished Sikh men and women, and from Jenny, it is to be reminded afresh that age is definitely just a number. Our hair may be greying, and our skin no longer taut, but we can all still remain young at heart and in spirit. Life is for living whatever the age. Don't waste it on whining and pining for lost youth.

The newlyweds with their friends and relatives from overseas. A most memorable wedding.

IN SEARCH OF OLD DELHI

Namaste! Welcome to India. At the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

1976 - that was my first visit to New Delhi, and my first trip overseas. I was 28 then and thrilled to bits that I was finally going to visit the country of my birth - if you believe in past lives and reincarnation.

It's still fresh in my mind. The freezing cold as I stepped out of the plane at 5.00am in the Indian winter, the exotic smell of spices in the air and the exciting anticipation of the adventures that lay ahead. A whole month on my own to explore this ancient sub-continent with just a backpack of clothes. No hotel reservations, no itinerary and no friends in India. My mother thought I was absolutely insane to venture abroad alone. And of all countries to start with, why India, she asked. But why not, I replied.

Opened in 1982, the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium underwent major renovations
to meet international standards to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the
XIX Commonwealth Games in Oct 2010.

The New Delhi of 2011 is hardly recognizable to me, thanks in part to the 19th Commonwealth Games which the city hosted for the first time last October. The city underwent massive construction and renovation in preparation for the international sports event. It was an opportunity for the city to showcase India as an emerging economic power.

Taking the metro is the most efficient way to see the sprawling city. Get a tourist day pass to
save on fares and the hassle of queuing for tickets.

Looking down at the expressway near Lajpat Nagar station. The traffic gets heavier as the day progresses.

But I was more interested in seeking out Old Delhi. Was it still there beneath the veneer of modernity?

I found the answer when I revisited Chandni Chowk. The old city centre seems to have been bypassed even as development envelopes the rest of the city. After 35 years since my last visit, not much has changed for the poor and the homeless as these pictures below show. Is this a reflection of the government's failure to address urban poverty?

Rows of shops lining the streets of Chandhi Chowk. Little signs of progress and development here.

The homeless live on the sidewalks, often next to piles of uncollected garbage like the one below.

Rummaging for recyclables. Littering, spitting and even peeing in the streets are still common in the older and poorer parts of the city.

Absolute chaos on the streets as rickshaws, autos (tuk-tuk), buses, motorcycles, cars and pedestrians fight for right of way. Note the absence of lanes.

Earning an honest living: tailor, barber and bicycle repairman share work space. These guys can teach entrepreneurs a thing or two about cutting down on overhead expenses!

Is it possible to retain the old while embracing the new? Can there be a happy compromise? When it comes to urban renewal and redevelopment, Singapore has shown that it can be done without sacrificing its historical and cultural heritage.

Chinatown Singapore in the early 1900s. Source: Lee Kip Lin and National Library Board

Related article: 

https://www.seniorsaloud.com/2011/12/where-age-is-truly-just-number.html

FINDING GOLD IN THE SILVER-HAIRED INDUSTRY

We talk about the retirement years as the sunset years. Ironically, the silver-haired industry is really a sunrise industry, with opportunities aplenty for those who can see the potential in catering to a market that is growing exponentially. From 523 million people worldwide aged 65+ in 2010, the UN estimates the number will swell to 1.5 billion by 2050. This age group has needs that remain largely uncatered for. For those with the right entrepreneurial skills and experience, and of course money to invest, why not set up a business that provides products or services aimed at the seniors market?

Here are some areas you might want to consider:

Homecare:
Similar to babysitting services. Family caregivers can engage these eldersitters on an ad hoc basis to keep an eye on their elderly parents for a few hours while they nip out to run errands or take a short break from caregiving.

Comfort Keepers is a Singapore company that provides companionship and
eldersitting services for stay-at-home older adults. (Photo: Comfort Keepers)

Food:
Set up restaurants that cater to the health conscious. Most of the fare that is served in so-called vegetarian restaurants are often deep-fried and heavy on the salt. Or provide home catering for the elderly with the focus on nutritious food cooked the healthy way. Bakeries can have a section for seniors with special dietary needs. Think of pastries that are low on sugar, gluten-free and fat-free.

Providing nutritious meals can mean using healthier alternatives like
brown rice and yoghurt, and opting for healthier cooking methods.

Fashion:
Why do fashion designers invariably assume that older folks go for aunty and uncle type clothes? Department stores churn out shapeless garments in shades of gray and beige that most active 60+ers shun like the plague. It's time for a kindred spirit to pick up the challenge and pioneer trendy fashion for this age group. Let's not forget footwear too. Comfort is top priority of course but a close second is design. None of those matronly-looking types, please.

Most departmental stores stock clothes that make older adults look frumpy and matronly.

Transport
We have school buses and shuttle buses, why not senior buses or vans that provide transport for retirees who do not have their own car or are unable to drive? For an affordable monthly fee, these buses will send the elderly to the daycare centre and back on a daily basis.

Buses or mini-vans with low steps, wide doors and ramps 
for wheelchair access.

HOME RENOVATIONS
Be a specialist in making homes safe for the elderly. Think of all the thousands of homes that do not have ramps, grab bars, non-slip flooring or footlights. Elderly people are at-risk living in such homes.

Making the bathroom safe for the elderly.

The sky is the limit as to the type of SMEs we can venture into. As seniors ourselves, we have the advantage of understanding what senior consumers like us want and are willing to pay for. If you are looking for financial assistance to get started, check out what's available at SME Corporation Malaysia.

IMAGINE A WORLD THAT'S AGEING, IT ISN'T HARD TO DO

Note the shrinking 0-19 age group and the growing 65+ age group.
(Source: UN World Population Prospects)

Would John Lennon have imagined a world that is rapidly ageing? Given the statistics, it's not that difficult to picture a world where one in every four people is 60 and above. We can expect that to happen as early as 2050. Everyone grows old. That is a fact. With the longer life span now enjoyed by the elderly, and with young people delaying marriage and opting for smaller families, the net result is a world population that is increasingly turning gray. What are the repercussions? How prepared are countries to face the challenges posed by an ageing population?

This video posted by the International Monetary Fund gives a forewarning of the crisis ahead and offers some solutions on what can be done to reduce the adverse impact of global ageing.



Here is another video with the same urgent message. Lifestar Institute believes that the solution lies in biomedical technologies that can "retard, arrest, even reverse the damage of ageing' and at the same time 'make a big difference to the health of the elderly'.

The vision and mission as stated on Lifestar Institute website: "We are dedicated to averting the pending global ageing crisis in the pursuit of personnel, sciences and processes to develop therapies that restore knowledge and productivity. We invoke solutions to the human, social and economic burdens of our ageing population... and advocate open, informed discussion about the challenges and opportunities ahead." (Click here to read more.)

Some countries like Singapore are scrambling to get ready for the rising number of elderly people. Some are blissfully ignorant of the coming silver tsunami. Some are aware but choose to be complacent about it, preferring to give priority to other concerns.

Which category does Malaysia fall into? Which countries are most prepared to meet the challenge? And which countries are least prepared? The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has published the Global Aging Preparedness Index (or GAP Index) that provides the first comprehensive quantitative assessment of the progress that countries worldwide are making in preparing for global aging, and particularly the old-age dependency dimension of the challenge.

You can download all 76 pages of the full report here.

Of the 20 countries covered in the Index, four are in Asia: India, China, Japan and Korea.

TONY PUA TELLS IT AS IT IS

MP for Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua must have felt vindicated. When he first drew public attention to the false labelling and inferior products sold at Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) outlets, he was called a liar, troublemaker, and accused of politicizing the issue for personal gain.

MP Tony Pua kept the audience engrossed for almost three hours with his slides and stories
 highlighting how the government (mis)spends public funds.

Last night he shared his side of the story with the audience at a dinner-lecture organized by Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM). This morning the Star ran this report:

Removing items because of incomplete labeling? Read between the lines. (Source: The Star 4 Dec 2011)

Before he started his lecture, Pua jokingly said some in the audience might want to emigrate after hearing what he had to share that evening. As he presented chart after chart, figures after figures, you could hear gasps of horror from some people in the audience. The weak of heart would have suffered cardiac arrest at the shocking revelations - the size of government debt from overspending and over-borrowing, of contingent liabilities and the extent to which the government is milking their cash cow Petronas.

Reading the numbers is like watching a horror movie. At least the movie ends after
two hours, but not our government spending spree. It is a never-ending story. 

Emoluments and pensions eat up the biggest chunk of government expenditure. Not
surprising at all given the 1.3m civil servants and the perks they get without even asking.
Why is the government so eager to please them? The answer should be obvious.

Pua pointing to the percentage of Petronas' profit that is reinvested each year. 
It fell from a high of 42.5% in 2005 to only 13.5% in 2010! Mama Mia!

Skeptics may pooh-pooh the numbers. But time after time as each scandal is made public in both the mainstream and alternative media, it only lends credence to what the opposition has been saying all along. The ministers and BN MPs may deny everything, but when documents and receipts are produced as evidence, how much longer can they continue to claim that every scandal as an outright lie? The gross overspending and abuse of public funds as highlighted in the Auditor-General's report year after year gets from bad to worse.

The Public Services Department director-general had to issue a warning that civil servants would be held accountable for losses highlighted in the AG's report. But don't expect much to happen. The same misuse and abuse of public funds will continue to fill the pages of next year's report, and the next and the next.

For more revelations of the truth behind government mismanagement of public funds, these two books below make for compelling reading:

(Left) Teh Chi-Chang's 106-page book presents the facts in easy to understand layman's terms with illustrations by Antares, while Pua's 335-page book is literally a thesis. Both are must-reads before the next elections.

Back cover detail from Pua's first English publication "The Tiger That Lost Its Roar".

WILL PENSIONERS IN MALAYSIA GO ON STRIKE?

Protesting against pension reforms in the UK. Source: The Telegraph

It happened in France, it's happening now in the UK, and it will happen here in Malaysia sooner or later. Or maybe not. Since 30 November tens of thousands of people in Britain have gone on strike to protest the government's unpopular proposals for public sector workers to contribute more towards their pension funds and also to work longer. In addition, their pension would be based on a "career average" salary, rather than the final salary as is the practice now.

Protesting against raising the retirement age in France from 60 to 62. Despite nationwide
protests, French PM Sarkozy succeeded in pushing through his retirement reforms last year.

Rallying to protect their retirement funds in the US.

With people living longer, the British government says the cost of funding public sector pensions is unsustainable, hence the need for reforms in the pension scheme. In the US, the government is caught in the same dilemma - how to support the millions of workers who retire each year? Already the first wave of baby boomers have reached the retirement age of 65 in January this year.

Rising healthcare costs and longer life span are forcing governments to seek reforms in retirement and pension schemes. Workers, of course, are not happy that they have to work longer and receive less in retirement benefits.

In Malaysia, the pension crisis is waiting to happen. With a bloated civil service of 1.3 million, and with no signs of a reduction in the numbers, the government will soon face the same predicament. Where will it find the funds to make good the pension benefits? Already the government is incurring deficits in the budget every year, despite massive loans from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) - RM79.4 billion up to June this year. That's tax-payers money we are talking about. Borrowing money from the workers to pay the workers. That's classic! According to the Auditor-General's Report 2010, for the period 2007 to September 2010, the government spent RM31.48 billion on pension payments.

Source: The Star 30 November 2011

While governments elsewhere are frantically trying to deal with the massive shortfall in pension payouts, our government is doing just the opposite. It's handing out windfall after windfall in terms of extra bonus payments, and other perks. It would be biting the hand that feeds them for pensioners here to take to the streets.

Excerpt from the PM's recent Budget Speech.

Even in the unlikely scenario that the government is forced to introduce drastic pension reforms, how will pensioners here react? Will they protest? Will the sky fall down? When the retirement age for civil servants was raised to 60 recently, it was accepted with hardly a murmur from public sector employees. Now with street protests soon to be banned under the Peaceful Assembly Bill, the government need not fear strikes or rallies by retirees and pensioners anytime soon. A smart pre-emptive move to silence voices of dissent. (See previous post.)


Related post:
It pays to be a civil servant in Malaysia.