Perak denies welfare centre applications exceed capacity, says Salbiah

IPOH: The Perak state government has denied claims that applications for admission to Social Welfare Department care centres exceed capacity.

Perak women, family, social welfare, cooperatives and entrepreneur development committee chairman Datuk Salbiah Mohamed (pic) said state managed institutions are operating at 75.5% occupancy.

She said all applications are assessed on eligibility, case-by-case evaluations and court decisions.

“There has never been a situation where applications are so high that they exceed capacity or compromise welfare standards,” said Salbiah.

“The state government does not rely solely on full time care institutions. The approach is to build a broader support network for senior citizens,” she added.

This includes community based care, family strengthening, caregiver empowerment and social and economic empowerment.

She said this at the state assembly sitting on Thursday (November 27) in reply

to a question from Muhammad Faisal Abdul Rahman (PN-Trong).

Salbiah said under the Perak Sejahtera 2030 plan, senior citizens are prioritised through several programmes.

These include the Vulnerable Group Care programme, Senior Citizen Activity Centres, home assistance services and collaborations with NGOs and registered private care centres.

She said a key initiative is the Perak Care and Compassion programme coordinated by the Women and Community Development Secretariat.

“The programme provides TVET training in senior citizen care for volunteers, operators and family caregivers,” she said.

She said it establishes a database of certified caregivers and supports careers and entrepreneurship in senior care.

She said the state also runs the Senior Citizens Fit programme in districts including Gerik, Selinsing, Trong, Behrang, Pengkalan Baharu and Chenderoh.

Salbiah said Wanita Perak initiatives strengthen family support and raise awareness about senior citizen health.

She said they also engage care centre operators and local NGOs.

“These efforts form part of an ageing in place strategy,” she said.

She said this encourages senior citizens to remain in their communities with organised support rather than relying solely on institutional care.