PETALING JAYA: Starting today, rural and suburban areas all over the country are going to come alive again with traffic jams, joyous young children and packed bazaars as Malaysians return home for Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“It is so bad in some areas that they would only look forward to the weekend visitors when families and children come to visit.The return of families to their hometowns brings a"small economic boom" for the local businesses. Out of the 150 sub-districts, 41 have reached a “super-aged” society, where 20% or more of its population are aged 65 years and above.DOSM identifies mukim, bandar and pekan according to the National Land Code .
Migration of residents from these areas to cities and other areas are among the factors contributing to this situation.It’s population may have grown by 287% but its elderly now make up 40% of its population of 360 people.Meanwhile, the elderly in Mukim Kerling make up 25.2% of its population, while Muar's Bandar Bukit Kepong has an elderly population of 23.9%.“There are very few economic activities, and you cannot attract young people as there are no jobs.
Chai said in some areas like Taiping, there are facilities like the Komuter and Electric Train Services that make it easier for children or families to visit or travel. The country needs more sustainable community-based services, as well as a lot more facilities and services for the elderly, said Chai.