SHAH ALAM, May 7 — The Selangor government is fortifying its people’s well-being agenda by expanding low-impact community exercise events and upgrading public parks to support healthy lifestyles, especially among senior citizens.
This approach is becoming increasingly pertinent as the senior citizen population grows, and with it comes ageing-related health challenges, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said, as reported by The Star.
According to him, activities like qigong, tai chi and light aerobics are being expanded through partnerships between local authorities and community groups.
He said this effort would not only improve senior citizens’ physical and mental health, but also help reduce social isolation within the group.
“Low-impact exercise programmes offered by local authorities are a good approach to improve public health and provide non-pharmaceutical interventions for ageing-related health issues.
“Activities like qigong, tai chi and light aerobics have been integrated into urban planning and public health initiatives to support ageing societies,” he said.
Amirudin added that the state government is also working with the federal government to improve recreational spaces throughout Selangor.
“By mid-year, at least one public park under each local authority will finish being upgraded with better facilities for youth and senior citizens,” he explained.
He also said several National Health and Morbidity Surveys by the Health Ministry (MOH) showed concerning trends among senior citizens, including a rise in elderly folk living alone.
“In 2018, the number of individuals aged above 60 years who were living alone was 6.3 per cent of the national population, but in 2025, the figure rose almost threefold,” he said.
Amirudin added that three out of 10 senior citizens were identified as physically inactive, while only 14.7 per cent were categorised as ageing healthily.
He said rising life expectancies also demands more comprehensive attention to community health and well-being.
“In Selangor, people are expected to live until nearly 80, which is around 20 years after the current retirement age,” he said, encouraging senior citizens to make the most of public recreational facilities and calling on youth to join community exercise programmes to manage stress and practise a healthy lifestyle.
Statistics Department (DOSM) data from last year showed that 908,400 of Selangor’s 7.4 million residents were senior citizens.
