PETALING JAYA, April 8 — The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has become a pioneer as the first local council to launch a care economy plan to make the city more senior citizen- and child-friendly, said Petaling Jaya Mayor Dato’ Mohamad Zahri Samingon.
He added that the Petaling Jaya Care Economy Action Plan 2025-2030 was formulated based on demographic changes, when around 12 per cent of the city’s over 800,000 residents would be senior citizens.
“This plan encompasses the implementation of a care centre accreditation system based on standards set by the Social Welfare Department (JKM), involving 167 child and senior citizen care centres, from mid-2026.
“The cooperation with JKM will ensure premises that adhere to the standard operating procedures can be assessed and make them eligible to obtain licences from MBPJ and address the issue of care centres operating without licences in Petaling Jaya,” Zahri said in an exclusive interview with Media Selangor.
Zahri also said MBPJ will develop a one-stop centre that combines child and senior citizen care centres to more effectively address residents’ needs.
To ensure smooth implementation, he said coordination meetings will be held every three months with various agencies to obtain updates and determine improvements.
“Around 70 per cent of actions are under MBPJ’s jurisdiction while the rest involve cooperation with other agencies. The success of this plan depends on the commitment of all quarters.
“However, among the main challenges are when officers in government agencies change and require (them to be briefed on the plan again), and the difference in the level of understanding among offers in the early stages,” Zahri added.
He also said MBPJ shared its experience implementing the plan with international players when it was a panellist at a 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) side event.
The Petaling Jaya Care Economy Action Plan 2025-2030 was launched on October 9, 2025, by state executive councillor for women empowerment and welfare Anfaal Saari to boost the urban community’s social and economic well-being by developing an inclusive care ecosystem.
The plan highlights four thrusts — improving care centre operation guidelines, training and certifying professional carers, providing incentives to quality care institutions, and encouraging investment and innovation in social care services.
