Senior Citizens Bill tabling delayed to 2027, says Nancy

PUTRAJAYA: Tabling of the Senior Citizens Bill has been pushed back from October to early next year to incorporate critical stakeholder feedback, according to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

While the initial draft was complete, she said the ministry paused to integrate fresh proposals raised during engagement sessions with state governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“Actually, we already have a draft. It just may not make it in time to be tabled in October,” she said after the Social Welfare Department’s 80th anniversary celebration at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

Nancy said the ministry had initially set a timeline for the Bill to be tabled this year, with the draft nearing submission to the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC).

However, she said the engagement process raised several new matters that the ministry agreed should be incorporated into the draft.

“When we held the engagement sessions, there were many new things they wanted to include, and we agreed that these should be included as amendments to our draft. We had engagements with NGOs and the states as well, which is why the process has been delayed,” she said.

When asked about the revised timeline, Nancy said the ministry would seek to have the Bill tabled in early 2027 if it could not be completed this year.

“If we cannot manage it this year, it will be early next year,” she added.

The proposed legislation is expected to strengthen the protection, welfare and rights of senior citizens as Malaysia moves towards becoming an aged society.

On another matter, Nancy said the ministry is prepared to provide psychosocial support and counselling to Malaysians affected by the recent floods in Nepal, as well as their family members.

She said the ministry is coordinating directly with the Foreign Ministry.

“We are in contact through the Foreign Ministry. When they need us, they will inform us and we will cooperate through Wisma Putra. We cannot go there on our own. Wisma Putra will assist and inform us,” she said.

She added that Social Welfare Department counsellors are routinely deployed during disasters, including at temporary relief centres. If more intensive psychosocial assistance is required, the ministry can increase the number of personnel deployed.

Malaysians were among those affected by severe flooding and landslides in Nepal following the disaster in the Rasuwa district, with Wisma Putra coordinating efforts to verify the status of those involved.

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布城：据妇女、家庭及社区发展部长拿督斯里南希·舒克里称，为纳入重要利益相关者的反馈意见，老年人法案的提交时间已从10月推迟到明年年初。

她表示，虽然初稿已经完成，但该部暂停了工作，以便将与各州政府和非政府组织（NGO）磋商期间提出的新建议纳入其中。

“实际上，我们已经有了草案。只是可能来不及在10月份提交审议，”她在布城国际会议中心举行的社会福利部成立80周年庆祝活动后说道。

南希表示，该部最初设定了今年提交该法案的时间表，草案已接近提交给总检察署。

不过，她表示，磋商过程中提出了一些新的问题，该部一致认为这些问题应该纳入草案中。

她说：“在举行磋商会议时，他们提出了许多新的内容，我们一致认为这些内容应该作为修正案添加到我们的草案中。我们也与非政府组织和各州进行了磋商，这就是进程被延误的原因。”

当被问及修订后的时间表时，南希表示，如果今年无法完成，该部将争取在 2027 年初提交该法案。

她补充说：“如果今年做不到，那就得等到明年年初了。”

随着马来西亚迈向老龄化社会，这项拟议的立法有望加强对老年人的保护、福利和权利。

关于另一件事，南希表示，该部已做好准备，为受尼泊尔近期洪灾影响的马来西亚人及其家人提供心理社会支持和咨询。

她说，该部正在与外交部直接协调。

“我们通过外交部与他们保持联系。他们需要我们的时候会通知我们，我们会通过外交部配合。我们不能独自前往。外交部会协助我们并告知我们相关信息，”她说道。

她补充说，社会福利署的辅导员通常会在灾害期间被派往包括临时救济中心在内的各个地点。如果需要更密集的心理社会援助，该部门可以增加派出的人员数量。

在尼泊尔拉苏瓦地区发生严重洪灾和山体滑坡灾害后，马来西亚人也受到了影响，马来西亚外交部正在协调各方努力，以核实受影响人员的情况。

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