By Yusrin Junaidi –
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, SEPT 30 – The elderly are a valuable asset to the country because this group has valuable knowledge, expertise and expertise.
Therefore, Brunei Darussalam will celebrate the 34th International Day of the Elderly (HAWE) for member countries of the United Nations (UN) every October 1.
The theme for this year’s celebration is Aging with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Adults Worldwide.
In a message from the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad last year stated that the elderly in Brunei Darussalam comprise 10.8 percent (48,800 people) of the total population.
From a social aspect, the elderly play a major role in strengthening and stability of the family, and become a bond of friendship between family members, while in terms of culture, the elderly pass on cultural values and traditions to the next generation so that the heritage is not lost over time.
“We are very grateful that the government of His Majesty the Sultan and the Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and also all levels of society have always joined hands in providing care for the welfare and well-being of the elderly to ensure that this group is looked after, cared for and given respect through a holistic and integrated approach from various parties.
As of August 2024, a total of 43,272 seniors receive old-age pensions every month, and of that number, a total of 825 seniors receive two benefits, namely receiving old-age pension and disability allowance. Meanwhile, approximately 350 seniors also receive a care provider allowance as guardians of disabled allowance recipients,” explained Yang Berhormat Dato.
Yang Berhormat Dato also said, this year Brunei Darussalam, through the National Council of Social Issues (MKIS) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, will launch the Elderly Action Plan: Towards Successful Aging.
The action plan emphasizes the well-being, protection and empowerment of the elderly which is intended to achieve the progress and inclusiveness of the elderly in the country.
“We must always support our senior citizens to always be active and actively carry out social, religious, sports, entrepreneurship and also educational activities. Recently, we are proud of the success of an 80-year-old graduate who has obtained a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering at Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB).
He is a role model for other seniors by proving that age is not an obstacle for a person to continue to grow in lifelong learning,” he explained further.
Yang Berhormat Dato also highly appreciates the efforts of various parties, including government agencies, institutions of higher learning, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), families, local communities and volunteers towards improving the support system for the elderly.
Among the programs that have been implemented are the Dementia Awareness Program which has been and will continue to be run by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports together with the Ministry of Health and Dementia Brunei as well as research and awareness raising programs among the elderly conducted by the Ministry of Health with the University Brunei Darussalam and the Caring for the Elderly Project under the Community Development Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, non-governmental organizations and volunteers.
Starting in 2020, the project cares about the health and well-being of elderly people in need, while providing direct and continuous assistance.
Through the project, the government has also provided assistance in-kindwhich is in the form of disposable diapers and milk for certain elderly people, according to the established guidelines.
As of September 2024, a total of 46 senior citizens have received the assistance, which is sent directly to the recipients at their respective residences every month to also ensure their benefits.
