Malaysia is far behind its neighbours in giving cash assistance to older people, the World Bank said, suggesting that the programme be expanded.
In a report on Malaysia’s social pension scheme, the World Bank said only about 4% of people over 60 receive aid under the government’s Bantuan Warga Emas scheme which provides senior citizens with RM600 a month.
Malaysia fell in the very-low coverage bracket worldwide, the report said.
The World Bank said there is a strong case for Malaysia to give more senior citizens cash aid, as too few received them.
Malaysia has about 3.9 million people aged 60 and above, according to official statistics.
The World Bank report revealed that Malaysia spends just 0.05% of gross domestic product on the seniors aid scheme, while Thailand spends 0.41% and Vietnam 0.58%, with most senior citizens receiving some form of…