KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 ― The government has been urged to formulate legislation that emphasises the rights and protection of the elderly, including a re-employment policy, as well as elimination of age discrimination.

"We must also come out with ways to encourage them (retired workers) to return to work, without having them sacrifice the family structure, they have developed," said Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Strategy), Tunku Alizakri Alias.

He said this at the International Social Security Conference 2016 here today.

Tunku Alizakri also said the public and private sectors need to come up with ways to unleash the potential of an ageing population in terms of employment and economic activities.

"The private sector must create the infrastructure to support business opportunities related to an ageing population, such as elderly housing, wellness and healthcare programmes and homecare service," he added.

He said the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) silver economy, a project focused on developing, promoting and disseminating strategies to face new challenges related to an ageing population, estimated the industry related to it to be worth US$3 trillion (RM12 trillion) by next year.

52 per cent of the business leaders in the cooperation member countries also anticipated that industries related to the ageing population to boom from 2020 to 2025.

Themed, "Active Ageing: Live Long and Prosper", the two-day conference, beginning today, was co-organised by EPF to discuss healthy ageing and establishing age-friendly communities, as well as encouraging engagement of the growing senior generation in the economic and social landscape. ― Bernama