MISSING THAT MERDEKA SPIRIT

This being the month of our country's independence, there will be festivities galore lined up to celebrate our 53rd National Day on 31 August. From tomorrow till 16 September Astro will be screening over 150 programs all touting the beauty of the country and the rich cultural diversity of its people. An annual PR showcase designed to make every citizen proud to be Malaysian, and every tourist eager to visit the country.

With just two weeks to go, I still haven't got into that celebratory mood. I doubt I will. Nor do I see much evidence of it around me. Really, what is there to celebrate? I'd rather celebrate life. The old-timers among us will remember National Days in the 1960s and 70s when everyone would get excited knowing that Hari Kebangsaan was around the corner.

Ah, those were the days. I recall spending the entire morning glued to the TV screen watching with pride the National Day parade. Later in the evening I would drive my children all the way to Merdeka Square to catch the floats procession.

This PR was moved to tears at the Singapore National Day Parade on 9 August. How many Malaysians will be similarly moved at our National Day parade? (Click on image to enlarge).

I have a good idea what I'll NOT be doing this National Day. I love my country Malaysia, and always will. But I cringe with shame and anger at what the politicians have done to our beloved country. They have raped and pillaged our country, AND getting away with it. They have divided the people and sown seeds of mistrust and disharmony.

I have vowed not to fly the Malaysian flag from my balcony until there's a change in the government. It will remain folded in my cupboard till we have a cabinet of ministers that knows how to govern, lead and listen. Hopefully that will come with the next election, and with our votes.

FORCED CONVERSION?

This video from AlJazeera News Channel was posted on YouTube on August 7, a day before the Ramleans' visit to the orang asli village in Kg Pertak (see previous blog post). Apparently, this is not an isolated case. We were told as much on our visit.

BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY DOWN BY THE RIVER

Photo: Max Koh

A dip in the cool waters of a mountain stream, fresh fruits within plucking range, sensurround sounds of nature, peace and quiet, fresh air and clear blue skies. 13 Ramleans* and friends had a taste of all this and more last Sunday. All it took to get to this haven was a mere hour's drive out of Kuala Lumpur.

For Ramleans who were unable to make the trip, here's a pictorial account. (Click on each photo to enlarge.)

 Unloading bags of clothes, toys, stationery and foodstuff for the orang asli community.

Off we go to the river. 

David, thanks for the nasi lemak. 

Talking politics in mid-stream?

Our ladies on the rocks with Anoora.

  Antares holding court with his Temuan tales and history of Kampung Pertak. He has lived in the community for 18 years. 

Yam Kokok's haul of freshly-plucked fruits for sale. My first taste of wild durians - almost as good as Musang King!

Visiting Antares' guest-house - the Bamboo Palace

The group at Gordon's guest-house at Maycliff, a stone's throw from Kg Pertak.

What better way to end a lovely day than having one for the road IN the river! 

*For those who are curious, Ramleans are an informal group of seniors aged 55+ who have completed a 4-day Raja Mohar Life Enrichment Awards (RAMLEA) program named after the late YABM Raja Tun Mohar bin Raja Badiozaman. The program was launched in 2004 by Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM). You can read more about the 2009 program here.

If you are interested to learn more about the Temuans, you might want to check out Antares' book "Tanah Tujuh". It's available at Silverfish Books on Jalan Telawi, Bangsar and at major bookstores. You can also read what he thinks about the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) in his article "THE FATAL CURSE OF TEMPURUNGISM" posted on his blog at MagickRiver.

THE WAY FORWARD TO A NATIONAL POLICY ON RETIREMENT ISSUES

Kudos to KMDC, organisers of Malaysia's first-ever conference on Retirement Transformation. Held on 3 August at the Sime Darby Convention Centre, the event couldn't have come at a better time. With the slowing down of the birthrate and longer life expectancy, 9.9% of the population in Malaysia will be aged 60 and above by 2020. According to UN definition, any country with 10% of its population above the age of 60 is categorized as an ageing nation.

Slide: Prof Ong Fon Sim of UniRAZAK

Thanks to pre-conference interviews that were carried in the local media and in magazines like Smart Investor, the conference succeeded in drawing attention to key retirement issues and the challenges posed by an ageing population, namely:

• strain on public retirement funds e.g. EPF and pension funds
• higher medical and healthcare costs
• provision of age-friendly facilities
• measures to retain older workers
• empowering elders to be actively engaged

Slide: Mr Cheah Chuan Lok of Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia (FIMM)

Slide: Mr Mohamed Akwal Sultan, CEO of Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK)

The discussions covered a wide range of topics. Although much of the focus was on financial literacy, some of the speakers touched on other areas like re-employment of older workers, business opportunities in the silver industry, wellness and retirement living. Click here for the full list of speakers.

Slide: Dr Goh Chee Leong, Faculty Dean, HELP University College

It wasn't just all talk. At the press conference which I attended, Datuk Dr Zainal Aznam Yusof of the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC), announced the launch of the Foundation for Sustainable Retirement (FSR). As the protem chairman, he explained the objectives of FSR and the way forward in transforming the retirement landscape in the country. For more information on FSR, please read my earlier post on BREAKING NEWS: LAUNCH OF THE FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABLE RETIREMENT.

Members of the protem FSR committee and advisory panel present at the press conference: Datuk Dr Zainal; Mr Kim Walker, CEO of Silver Group, Singapore; Mr Roland Naufal, Founder of 4C Consulting, Australia; Mr Khoo Chuan Keat, Sr Exe Director of Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Malaysia; and Mr Tadaaki Masuda, Director of Council on Ageing, Japan.

It is reassuring for retirees to know that policy-makers and key industry players are working in tandem to come up with proposals they hope will lead to the development of a national retirement policy that will benefit all stakeholders.

DESIGNING WITH THE ELDERLY IN MIND

When it comes to gadgets, I go for functionality and practicality. None of those fancy top-of-the-line gizmos for me. There are applications on my pc and my cell phone that I know I will never use, and others that I can't figure how to use! I'm just one notch better than my 85-year old mother. Her ability to use electronic devices is limited to pressing the ON/OFF button.

Until or unless we are in that age-group, we won't understand why Dad doesn't seem to like wearing that polo-neck sweater we got for his birthday. Or why Mom has yet to read that best-seller we gave her last Christmas.

Whether we are buying a gift or designing a household product for the elderly, we must bear in mind they may have problems with limited vision, hearing, strength and mobility.


>60 Design Centre of Singapore recently announced the Global Age-Friendly Design Awards 2010. Students, design professionals, design firms and the general public are invited to submit their ideas on products that can change and enhance the lifestyles of the elderly.

If you are interested, find out about submission regulations and prizes on the website. On-going registration began on 14 June. Closing date is 26 September 2010. There is no entry fee for the competition.

Here are more ideas to trigger off the creative juices in you.

Know why sales of iPad easily topped one million in the US alone just 28 days after its launch? My guess is it has features and apps that appeal to ALL ages. Design with that in mind and you'll probably have an edge over entries that focus exclusively on the elderly.

Check out my blog buddy's website at eldergadget if you are looking for a gift for someone in the older age group. It has plenty of news and reviews about senior-friendly products.

Related article:

INNOVATIVE IDEAS

FINALLY A TV SERIES ABOUT SENIORS

Get ready for this:

Mediacorp (Singapore) will be screening its first ever TV series with the focus on the 50+. Comprising 13 episodes, "Silver Lining" will premiere this August 10 at 8.30pm. A dramedy, the series give viewers a peek at life in the golden years as experienced by two grandfathers and their neighbours. Click here to read more.

Another piece of good news to share. The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has announced two new schemes to increase IT training and spur PC ownership among the older segment of the population.

ST file photo

The first, called Silver Gen PC Specials, will offer desktops, notebooks and netbooks to senior citizens at discounted prices. However, purchases must be from IDA-appointed PC vendors.

The second, the Silver PC Incentive Programme, will give a further $100 off to the first 8,000 eligible citizens who complete 30 hours of IT training.

With these incentives kicking off today, senior citizens in Singapore have little excuse not to pick up some pc skills. They can start a home-based online business, embark on lifelong learning, or extend their network of friends online.

With their own pc, a whole new world is theirs to discover and explore.

BREAKING NEWS: LAUNCH OF FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABLE RETIREMENT

Some really exciting news to report. The over-50s in Malaysia will now have an organization to look into their interests and needs. It's been a long wait but better late than never.

The Foundation for Sustainable Retirement (FSR) was launched at the conclusion of the Retirement Transformation Conference held yesterday at the Sime Darby Convention Centre. A non-profit organization, it aims to "promote a sustainable retirement system and to grow an age-neutral society that dignifies the status of the retiree".

There have been NGOs proclaiming to be the voice of senior citizens, but many have either faded into oblivion from inactivity or are existing as old tigers - toothless and without bite. FSR does seem to have some clout judging from the who's who on the Board of Trustees and Advisory Panel.

The pro-tem chairman is Datuk Dr Zainal Aznam Yusuf, a man who wears many important hats. As a fellow senior citizen, he is someone who can leverage on his wealth of experience to speak on our behalf to policy-makers in the government. The advisory panel includes retirement experts from Japan, Australia and Singapore. The full list of initial members can be viewed in the FSR booklet that you can download here.

Content page of the FSR booklet.

 Key objectives of the FSR:

• maximize employment potential for retirees
• improve health and wellness outcomes
• promote personal responsibility and well-being
• complement efforts to improve financial well-being
  

FSR initiatives for the next six months:

• job matching for employers and the over-55s
• online magazine for stakeholders to communicate on retirement issues
• online survey on public perception of retirement homes
• introduction of a wellness program

Finally there is some glimmer of hope that the over-50s will not remain marginalized, abandoned and forgotten as the rest of the country moves forward. Lest the government forgets, the country cannot enjoy sustainable economic growth without putting in place sustainable retirement policies and practices. By 2020, that's just a mere ten years away, Malaysia will have reached ageing nation status. 10% of its population will be 60 and above.

With FSR mapping out the road ahead, there is hope the golden years will retain their lustre for retirees.