Malaysia’s seniors face a loneliness crisis as population ages

PETALING JAYA - Malaysia may face a “loneliness epidemic” if better social support is not in place to care for its growing number of senior citizens.

This comes as the current number of care centres in Malaysia is insufficient for the rapidly ageing population. According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2025, 33.1 per cent of respondents felt there was poor social support among older Malaysians, up from 30.8 per cent in 2018.

“Without stronger social infrastructure, we risk a ‘loneliness epidemic’ that could strain families, hospitals and the economy,” said the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry when contacted. 

A loneliness epidemic generally refers to social isolation and alienation that affects large groups of people.

Universiti Malaya demographer Tey Nai Peng said such a situation often has serious health and societal consequences. 

“This is often manifested in depression and cognitive decline, and prevalence of chronic diseases,” he said.

It does not help that Malaysia is ageing faster than expected, or about 1.5 times faster than Japan.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad had said in a report that Malaysia was compressing a century of demographic change into just five to six decades as compared with Japan.

By 2048, one in every five people in Malaysia will also be aged 60 and above, based on data from the Population Projections 2020-2060 by the Statistics Department.

In 2025, news reports also said Malaysia was projected to become an “aged nation” by 2048, with 14 per cent of the total population aged 65 and above.

Among Asean countries, Malaysia has the fourth-biggest percentage of people aged 65 and above, making up 7.74 per cent of the population as at 2024.

Thailand had the largest proportion of people in this age group at 15.36 per cent, followed by Singapore at 13.66 per cent and Vietnam at 9.05 per cent.

To offer better support, the ministry said the government was promoting healthy and active ageing through Senior Citizens Activity Centres (PAWE).

“This is to help older Malaysians to remain independent and engaged,” it said, adding that as at December 2025, there were a total of 217 such centres nationwide. 

“These centres enable older people to participate in activities and socialise with the community,” the ministry said. It added that 47,020 older individuals were currently registered with these centres.

Aside from expanding PAWE, Associate Professor Tey said other community-based spaces and initiatives should be strengthened, such as Rukun Tetangga (neighbourhood watch), residents’ associations and places of worship. 

“Such spaces can be transformed into elder-friendly support and care hubs. These spaces should go beyond basic activities by offering social programmes, inter-generational activities, fitness sessions, telehealth, mini-clinics, and digital access to help older persons stay healthy, connected and engaged,” he said.

Prof Tey suggested that mobile PAWE units can extend services to underserved areas, while digital platforms can keep seniors connected through online classes and other virtual activities. 

“At the same time, old folks’ homes and care centres must be made more affordable and improved in both services and daily activities, ensuring that residents receive care with companionship rather than isolation,” he added.

Prof Tey said seniors themselves can also remain active through part-time work, mentoring or voluntary work, ensuring they continue to contribute meaningfully to society. 

Age-friendly environments – both social and physical – should be strengthened, said research officer Chai Sen Tyng from Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing.

“An age-friendly social environment will enable older people to participate, feel included, remain connected, and maintain dignity and autonomy,” he said.

“It has a lot to do with ageism and ageist attitudes, be it for labour and employment, education and training to access health and social care services,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK