Maintain retirement age at 60, says MEF

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) executive director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan said the age of retirement should be maintained at 60.

He said any efforts to increase the age of retirement should be done on a voluntary basis between employer and employees.

"I would prefer to not increase the current retirement age and prefer it to be maintained at 60," he said when contacted by Astro AWANI.

However, he admitted that employing those aged 60 and above can reduce the dependency on foreign workers.

He said policies and incentives including tax deduction should be given to employees working after the age of 60.

"In my opinion, they have paid their taxes when they were younger. Tax deduction to employees after the age of 60 will encourage them to work and also an incentive for employers to hire them," he said.

Before this, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said the government is willing to conduct a study to look into allowing senior citizens to remain active in the workforce beyond the age of 60.

She said the government has been in regular discussions with the stakeholders to introduce policies and programmes to create an ecosystem which encouraged active ageing of senior citizens in this country.