Page 101 - KCMAGAZINE 20230717
P. 101

of of




 the
 Plight  the                                                                                                    Photo by Chang Qian Hung




 Written by Chang Qian Hung
 A G E   I N G
 A G E I N G


 O R
 P O
 P O O R
    Hunched over, an elderly  woman quietly
 washes a mountain of dishes in an alley. In the
 scorching afternoon heat, an old uncle collects
 cardboard and places them on a squeaky bicycle.       it harder and harder to survive because of their

 Ignored by the moving masses, a senior in her         waning physical and mental capabilities. Isn’t it
 wheelchair tries to sell a handful of RM1 tissue      a shame that former working members of society
 paper.                                                are forced to plough on instead of enjoying their
                                                       remaining life? Is this the best society can do for
                                                       our old folks?
    We tend to overlook senior citizens who are
 struggling to make ends meet in this fast-moving

 urban environment. Without sufficient savings to             Known as old age poverty, this phenomenon
 fall back on, retirement is still an alien concept to   is  increasingly  prevalent  in  many  emerging
 them, even well into their golden years. They find    economies, especially in East Asia where regions
 97                                                                                                              98
   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106