GEORGE TOWN (Oct 10): Penang is ready to work with the federal government to establish the National Integrated Care Centres of Excellence (Nice) in the state as part of efforts to prepare for an ageing population.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government would cooperate in implementing the initiative, announced in Budget 2027 on Friday, which aims to provide training, research and care facilities for the elderly.
He said the State Economic Planning Division (BPEN) would be asked to liaise with the relevant ministries to obtain details of the proposed development, as information on its location and implementation in Penang was not yet available.
“We certainly welcome it and the state government will provide cooperation to ensure this facility can be established in Penang,” he told reporters after officiating the second State Heritage Declaration Ceremony under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011 for 2026 here on Saturday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced when tabling Budget 2027 on Friday that two Nice facilities would be developed in Penang and Sarawak to provide training, research and elderly care as the country prepares for an ageing population.
Chow said the growing number of senior citizens required targeted policies and programmes to ensure their welfare and needs were addressed effectively.
He said Penang was expected to become an ageing state in the next few years, adding that addressing the associated challenges required not only government action but also the involvement of the private sector and the community.
“The state government, the private sector and the community must all take the ageing process and the status of an ageing state seriously. This requires policies, infrastructure, care homes for the elderly, awareness programmes, welfare support and so on,” he said.
In a separate development, Chow said the state government would seek further information on the proposed 122-acre NCT InnoSphere development involving Penang and Kulim, Kedah, which was also announced in Budget 2027.
Anwar said NCT InnoSphere would be developed as a heavy vehicle, engineering, maintenance and logistics hub to support industries in Kulim and Penang under efforts to further strengthen the Special Border Economic Zone (SBEZ).
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