BRUNEI: Senior Citizens Honoured For Role In Development

. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN / BruDirect.com / December 17, 2008 By James Kon A total of 18,575 senior citizens are registered with the Community Development Department to receive the old-age pension. The government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam through the Old Age Pension and Disability Act (1954) provides the old-age pension to citizens who are 60 years old and above in recognition and appreciation of their contribution to the country's development. To honour the contribution of the senior citizens, the Department of Community Development with the cooperation of the Association of Former Government Staff in Tutong District (Pakatan Association) held a Senior Citizens Day for the Tutong District level in conjunction with the International Senior Citizens Day, which falls on October 1 every year. The theme of this year's celebration is "The rights of older persons" in commemorating the 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The event also aimed to raise public awareness, especially among the younger generations, of their obligation to care for senior citizens. Among the activities organised during the celebration were exhibition and stalls, tai chi performance, tausyeh performance, as well as Nasyid and Syair performance. Dayang Hajah Misnah binti Hj Bolhassan, the Deputy Director of Community Development, as the chairperson of the organising committee in her welcoming remarks said, "The department through its family project of caring for senior citizens has always tried to ensure that senior citizens are cared for by their families and the community as well as volunteers. "This is in line with the Madrid International Plan on Ageing where one of the important issues is that senior citizens have enough financial resources as well as rights and access to social services." The guest of honour at the event was Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Hj Ahmad bin Hj Jumat, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, who was accompanied by his wife. Dayang Hajah Payak binti Timpus, aged 108, and Awang Haji Abd Razak bin Hj Metassan, aged 107, were honoured for being the oldest senior citizens at the gathering. Courtesy: Borneo Bulletin