REDISCOVERING THE PENANG OF OLD

Penang is always worth a visit. If you don't want to drive up from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, take the Aeroline bus. It's a cheaper and faster option than taking the day or night train. The fare from KL is Rm60. The service is good with hot drinks and snacks served enroute. The journey takes five hours with a 20-minute rest stop mid-way.

But once you are in Penang, getting around can be a pain. Taxi drivers here don't use the meter, so fares quoted are arbitrary and on the high end. I paid Rm30 for the 10-minute ride from the bus terminal at Sungei Nibong to Evergreen Laurel Hotel along Persiaran Gurney. Although public transportation has improved tremendously with the introduction of RapidPenang buses, you have to be familiar with the bus routes and schedules to enjoy exploring Penang by bus.

The skyline has changed drastically over the past few years. There are now more high rise luxury condominiums and shopping malls that can rival those in KL. Thankfully, visitors can still find the old Penang behind the modern facade of the island city of Georgetown.

A stroll along Penang Street takes one back to the old days when mama and
papa shops like this one were a ubiquitous sight. The wide assortment of
products sold in these shops boggles the mind.

Itinerant street vendors like this rojak (Malaysian salad) man above are a
dying breed in the cities. He was actually taking a nap when I photographed
him. Business must be slow in the hot afternoon.

The famous Penang 'char kwei teow' or fried white noodles with 
bean sprouts and prawns.A real culinary treat at only Rm4 a plate. 
This place was highly recommended by our taxi driver.

Making coffee and toasting bread the old-fashioned way at a kopitiam in one of the alleys.
The last time I saw a scene like this was in the 1950s during my primary school days!

THIS is the genuine black coffee and toast, served the original old town kopitiam style.
Only Rm4 for all - real value for money.

Dinner at Gurney Drive is a must. A haven for food-lovers who enjoy hawker fare.

Stall selling boiled squid and clams with water convolbus (kangkong) and served 
with chilly sauce if you like it spicy.

Indian rojak - a mouth-watering selection, just pick what you like.

A police patrol van passing by. A whole kilometre of parked cars along  Gurney Drive.
And not one jaga kereta boy in sight! Penangites say they now enjoy a new 
 sense of peace and security going for evening walks after dinner..

The state government under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has earned praise for
his efforts in cleaning up the city, including fighting graft and corruption.
All the taxi drivers and the locals I spoke to had only good things to say about him.
They keep telling me not to believe the negative reports in the mainstream media.

One thing I've learned on my first day here - never ask a local how far Place A is from Place B. Their answer is invariably 'Very far. Can't walk there'. Not true. I have discovered at the end of Day 1 that many of the places I wanted to visit were within a 15-20 minute walk from my hotel. Just think of all that taxi fare I could have saved!

GRANTING ELDERCARE LEAVE

Photo: Straits Times

Granting employees eldercare leave so they can take their elderly parents for a medical check-up or tend to them at home if they are sick is definitely a step forward in the right direction. It sends out the message that the government cares, and employers care too.

A news report in the Straits Times today quoted Singapore's Health Minister Gan Kim Yong as saying that a government committee on ageing is considering whether to make it compulsory for companies to give elder care leave.

And why not? If young mothers are allowed to take leave to look after their sick children at home, surely the same consideration can be extended to older workers who have to send their elderly parents for a medical examination or a hospital procedure.

Three weeks ago I spent almost an entire day at the hospital with my mother. She had to undergo some tests for her dementia. Being semi-retired, I could take time off to be with my mother throughout the procedure. But what if I were a full-time employee? I can imagine my boss begrudging me the leave.

Granting eldercare leave is not something new in the public sector. Government agencies like the People's Association, the Competition Commission of Singapore, the National Heritage Board, the Health Promotion Board and the Health Sciences Authority have been doing so for a few years now. The Workforce Development Agency was the first government agency to introduce elder care leave in 2004.

These agencies grant up to three days paid eldercare leave a year. The corporate sector is yet to follow suit. Unless the government makes it mandatory for companies to do so, it is unlikely that they will implement such leave of their own accord.

If charity begins at home, corporate social responsibility should begin at the workplace, right?

VALUE FOR MONEY - VEGETARIAN MEALS AT THE TEMPLE

Yesterday I had one of the best Chinese vegetarian meals ever, and I would be most selfish if I didn't share it here on Seniorsaloud blog. One of the best kept secrets although I've been told this place has been around for decades. One of the volunteers there asked me to help publicize the food centre. My pleasure!

A vegetarian's paradise! I gave up counting the number of dishes after 40.

A feast for the eyes and stomach, but only if you are a vegetarian. There's noodles, salad, fruits, drinks and desserts too. But the longest queue is mostly for the mixed dishes with rice.

Best time to be there - before 11.30am. You avoid the lunch time crowd and the long queues at the cashiers.

The scene at 12pm. Difficult to find a seat unless you are alone. Diners have to clear their plates and glasses after eating. The staff here are all volunteers.

The daily menu at a glance. Breakfast is free but you will have to be there early.

After lunch, walking out along the landscaped garden lined with bamboo. 

Pausing to take in the beauty of the rock garden and mini-waterfall.

And out to busy Jalan Ampang. Would you believe the food centre is behind this ornate temple 
just a stone's throw from KLCC?

So now you know where to go for your next vegetarian meal, do spread the word. All for a good cause.

COMPANIES THAT VALUE OLDER WORKERS

Congratulations to Lam Soon Edible Oils Sdn Bhd for winning the 2011 AARP international award for Best Employer for Workers Over 50. It is the only Malaysian company to win in this category. Other winners include BMW Group (Germany), Daikin (Japan), and Marks and Spencer (UK). There are two winners from Singapore: Raffles Institution and the National Environment Agency. You can read more about the winners and their winning criteria on the AARP International website.


Whang receiving the award from AARP representatives. (Photo: The Star)

Lam Soon has a total of 1456 employees. Of this, 20.1% are aged 50 and above. Says executive chairman, Whang Shang Ying, "We believe older employees possess great experience and are able to contribute significantly to the company. For example, older employees in each function are designated subject matter experts and play a useful role as facilitators and trainers."

That was in 2008. Is the policy still in place at Secret Recipe?

Three years ago Secret Recipe set aside 50 vacancies in its service line for older workers under its CSR programme. A check of the company's website failed to locate any job opportunities targeted for older workers. Has the policy has been discontinued? If yes, why?

For more on the re-employment of older workers in Singapore, click here.

Footnote: AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) was founded in 1958. Over the years AARP has extended its reach to other countries. Today through its Office of International Affairs, AARP seeks to help people live longer, healthier, more financially secure and productive lives by identifying and sharing the best ideas and practices on key policy issues. As a social change organization, AARP works towards fulfilling a vision of a society in which everyone ages with dignity and purpose.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE IN A 74-YEAR OLD BODY

MIT's age suit AGNES (Age Gain Now Empathy System)

MIT's AgeLab has come up with AGNES, the ageing suit. It enables anyone wearing the suit to experience what it feels like to be in a 74-year old body. Reaching for items on the top or bottom shelves can be near impossible for ageing limbs. Your arms can't stretch that high, and your knees simply can't bend that low. Your failing vision means you can't read the food labels and your arthritic fingers don't allow you to have a firm grip. All of which means that everyday chores like shopping for groceries at a supermarket can be quite a challenge for the elderly.

The idea behind the age suit is to simulate the restrictions and limitations an ageing body has on movements and mobility that most people take for granted. The purpose, according to Joseph Coughlin, one of the suit's creators and the founder and director of MIT's AgeLab, is to enable companies and governments to understand what needs to be done to make a product or service more user-friendly for an ageing population.



The number of people 65 and older is expected to more than double worldwide, to about 1.5 billion by 2050 from 523 million last year, according to estimates from the United Nations. With statistics like these, the business of ageing looks set for exponential growth.

GETTING THE YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE IN A 74-YEAR OLD BODY

MIT's age suit AGNES (Age Gain Now Empathy System)

MIT's AgeLab has come up with AGNES, the ageing suit. It enables anyone wearing the suit to experience what it feels like to be in a 74-year old body. Reaching for items on the top or bottom shelve can be near impossible for ageing limbs. Your arms can't stretch that high, and your knees simply can't bend that low. Your failing vision means you can't read the food labels and your arthritic fingers don't allow you to have a firm grip. All of which means that everyday chores like shopping for groceries at a supermarket can be quite a challenge for the elderly.

The idea behind the age suit is to simulate the restrictions and limitations an ageing body has on movements and mobility that younger people take for granted. The purpose, says  Joseph Coughlin, one of the suit's creators and the founder and director of MIT's AgeLab, is "to enable companies and governments to understand what  needs to be done for a product or service to make it more user-friendly for an aging population.

IT PAYS TO BE A CIVIL SERVANT IN MALAYSIA

The 'goodies' for senior citizens aged 60 and above as mentioned in the PM's recent Budget Speech are really nothing much to shout about, unless you are a civil servant. For the rest of us, life goes on obladi oblada. Most likely we would have to have to tighten our belts another notch or two.

Outpatient registration fee at government clinics and hospitals is only Rm10, and it's only one-time. Waiving this is no big deal for most senior citizens. As for the 50% discount on LRT and Monorail fares, how many senior citizens especially those in their 70s and above do you see taking the trains? So how many will benefit from this discount?

Civil servants, on the other hand, can expect a windfall. First off, their retirement age has been raised to 60. This gives them an extra two years to continue drawing a salary and accumulate more savings. Their pension will also be increased by 2% effective 2013.

It boggles the mind to think of RM4 BILLION of taxpayers money going towards bonuses and assistive payments for 1.3 million civil servants.

Speaking at the launch of the UN Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2011 (UNESCAP), Professor Datuk Dr Mohamed Ariff of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance noted that Malaysia had the largest civil service in the entire region.

Malaysia’s civil servants to population ratio was 4.68, in comparison to Indonesia’s 1.79, South Korea’s 1.85 and Thailand’s 2.06. The size of Japan’s civil service, he added, was similar to that of Malaysia’s despite having a population of over 120 million people.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Department alone has 43,544 government servants as of last year, up from the 4,418 in 1981 and 25,332 during the Abdullah Administration.

When will ordinary retirees receive the same special treatment that the PM gives to government pensioners? Few retirees can claim to have adequate savings in their EPF to support them over the next 10-20 years. They too need generous goodies, not measly crumbs, from the government to help them cope with the rise in cost of living.

There's valid reason to be skeptical about promises made by the PM. Just two months after he announced the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) effective March 2012, the police have used the Act to arrest 13 people in Tawau, Sabah.

Will the PM renege on his budget promises? Well, let's wait and see. January 2012 isn't that far away.