Kuala Lumpur Vov 27 (NST) The World Bank last year said Malaysia should gradually increase the retirement age to 65 because of its rapidly ageing population.
One year later on Thursday, the Public Service Department director-general spoke about the global body’s prescription.
Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman said the idea would be re-examined. An important consideration, he pointed out, are the half-a-million job-hungry graduates churned out annually by institutions of higher learning.
Perhaps we will follow the World Bank’s advice soon. Perhaps, too, the retirement age will continue to go up in 10-year cycles (and after endless debate) now that most people are living longer. (But they are not necessarily healthier, going by the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey numbers.)
Of course, modern folks walking on this Earth as long as some biblical characters, many of whom lived for hundreds of years, is unlikely to happen. Methuselah was alive for 969 years! Gosh, if we were to live that long, when would we retire ah?
But do you want to be in your current job until 65? If you own a firm, would keeping people until 65 worry or gladden you?
