KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ The celebration of the sixth installation of the StarProperty Awards 2021: Real Estate Developer was held in Cyberspace for the second time, capitalising on the experie
PETALING JAYA: The celebration of the sixth installation of the StarProperty Awards 2021: Real Estate Developer was held in Cyberspace for the second time, capitalising on the experience gained from last year’s virtual event to create greater excitement and pomp.
The topic of senior living has been widely discussed in Malaysia over the last decade. The National Policy on Senior Citizens defines senior citizens as those aged 60 and above, and there has been a proposal by the National Senior Citizens Advisory and Consultative Council last year to amend the definition to 65 and above.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia’s 4Q2020 demographic statistics show that the country’s population stood at 32.73 million, comprising three age groups: 0 to 14 (7.57 million); 15 to 64 (22.82 million); and above 65 (2.34 million).
Raine & Horne International Zaki + Partners Sdn Bhd associate director James Tan notes that while Malaysia is fast becoming a developed nation, it will also become an ageing nation by 2030, with 14.2% of the population being senior citizens. The figure will increase to 23.1% by 2050, owing to the increase in the life expectancy rate with the help of modern medical treatments.
Suntrack Development Sdn Bhd CEO James Tan studied civil engineering at the University of Warwick in the UK before returning to Malaysia and joining the company. He recounts his time there and how it has shaped the company’s brand DNA and projects, especially its latest offering, Tuai Residence.
“In university, one of the first things that struck me [in the sports union] was the equal opportunities policy, which was all-inclusive,” he recalls.
“I thought it was very profound and applied the same philosophy in our company and developments. Thereafter, I started studying more about retirement villages and felt inspired by geriatrician Dr Bill Thomas’ approach, MAGIC, which stands for multi-ability multigenerational inclusive communities,” says Tan.