Create specific laws to prevent senior citizens from being abandoned

SHAH ALAM - Most laws in the country barely goes into detail regarding the rights of senior citizens or elderly parents.

Lawyer Muhammad Akram Abdul Aziz explained although there were several provisions that can be applied to the group, it only covers general rights.

He said it is time for the government to create specific laws to ensure their wellbeing.

“To my knowledge there has yet to be a specific cases (on abandonment), or a Senior Citizen Rights Act (but) there are laws wjere individuals can be charged for causing harm to other individuals

“However this law not only applies to senior citizens but it can be applied to everyone.

“It is quite difficult to take actions towards children or heirs abandoning their families (because) there is no such laws for abandonment,” he said when contacted on Thursday.

Akram explained there were several laws that were relevant in caring for parents’ rights and among them were the Domestic Violence Act 1994, the Private Aged Healthcare Facilities and Service Act 2018, the Care Centres Act 1993, the Pension Act 1980 and the Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012, but none touched on abandonment.

He viewed the Senior Citizen Bill to be tabled on Dewan Rakyat was timely and needed to protect the rights of senior citizen as well to outline a caretaker’s responsibility as abandonment issues did not only involve children and heirs but also third parties.

He stated the bill must explain the responsibility scope of all parties involved as well as the definition of offenses and punishments.

“There must be new laws that are detailed and effective. If we use the available acts or make any amendments, it will complicate things

“It would be better if there were chance to draft a new act as the abandonment issue involves individuals without a capacity to live independently

“If there were laws these incidences can be prevented if there is no implementation or enforcement in our society they will simply not care, we must find a ‘remedy’ for these problems,” he said.