In conjunction with the World Social Security Forum 2025 taking place in Kuala Lumpur from Sept 29 to Oct 3, Malaysia faces a critical moment to reassess and confront pressing social security challenges.
Malaysia’s aging population is growing rapidly. Urban social issues such as beggars and vagrants in city centres are increasingly visible, public hospitals are overwhelmed, EPF retirement savings are alarmingly depleted for the majority, and medical insurance premiums are soaring year after year.
These intersecting issues demand urgent, holistic, and bold measures by the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) and the wider social security apparatus to restore public confidence and adequately support Malaysia’s vulnerable and aging citizenry.
Our aging population: numbers that cannot be ignored
Malaysia’s demographic transition is clear. As of 2025, the elderly population aged 65 and above constitutes approximately 8% of the nation’s 34.2 million people, with 12 states…