Kuala Lampur, Sept. 4 -- Malaysia is getting older. The statistics have been repeated often enough.

Today, 11.6 per cent of Malaysians are aged 60 and above. By 2040, that figure is expected to rise to 17.3 per cent. Across Asean, the transformation is even more dramatic. By 2050, every country in the region will be classified as an ageing, aged or super-ageing society.

In many ways, this is something to celebrate.

However, longer lives also bring challenges Malaysia can no longer afford to postpone. Many of them are slowly becoming invisible.

Ageing is usually discussed as a healthcare problem. How many hospitals will we need? How many doctors, nurses and care homes? How much will it cost the government?

These questions matter.

But...