Spatial Distribution of Senior Citizen in Peninsular Malaysia 1991 and 2000
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立命館地理学 第 21 号 (2009) 59-69 Spatial Distribution of Senior Citizen in Peninsular Malaysia 1991 and 2000 USMAN Yaakub*, TARMIJI Masron* and FUJIMAKI Masami** 2000. Analysis on the distribution was based on Ⅰ．Introduction the application of Geographic Information Sys- Senior citizen or ageing population refers to tem (GIS). Two methods were used; the first population aged 60 years and above. Ageing is one used real total population data and the also based on the increase of median age and second used proportion or the percentage of dependency ratio. It is an interesting topic and aged population in each district. discussion on this problem has begun since the early 1990s especially in the developed coun- Ⅱ．Ageing Population: A Literature tries. This was due to a faster population ageing Review process in the developed countries as compared to the developing countries. Nevertheless, There are many studies on ageing population currently, the problems of ageing population in Malaysia. Among them there were studies 7) have existed in some Asian countries. There- regarding nutrition , family role in the formation 8)–10) fore, many aspects of ageing population were of policies and senior citizen care and social 11),12) discussed since a decade ago. In Singapore, security, issues and phenomenon . In Viet- the life of senior citizen and housing1) and in nam aspects of education, marriage, economic Brunei, issues of trends and economic impact, activities and ageing population life order were 13) economic consequences of rapid development debated . The focus in Asia was on frame- 14),15) of pension scheme and establishment of a work factor influencing status and trend . 16) medical insurance system and social problems2) Hateley and Tan discussed the causes and were discussed. In Japan, there were discus- consequences of accelerated ageing in Asia. 17) sions on care and cultural change problems3), Liu focused on housing planning for senior health services, government role as well as citizen in China that has over 60 million ageing 18) public and private policies for senior citizen4)–6). senior citizen. Gore used sociological, psy- The purpose of this article is to study the chological and social approaches in the study of distribution of aged population or senior citizen problems of ageing. The rapid growth of senior by districts in Peninsular Malaysia for 1991 and citizen will have an impact on socio-economic, * Section of Geography, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia ** Faculty of Letters, Ritsumeikan University Key words：Spatial Distribution of Senior Citizen, Peninsular Malaysia 59 USMAN Yaakub ･ TARMIJI Masron ･ FUJIMAKI Masami development, politics, culture and environment years, 15–64 year and 65 years and above. and vice versa. Based on census statistics, total young popula- Based on the facts above, aspects of care and tion in age group 0–14 years decreased from management of senior citizen must be given 43.8 percent to 37.1 percent in 1991 and 33.3 priority in the planning of communal facility for percent in 200010). Consequently, the number them. It involves all parties including the ruler, of senior citizen aged 65 years and above private, community and family that must come increased from 2.7 percent in 1957 to 3.8 together to enable the senior citizen to lead a percent in 1991 and 3.9 percent in 2000. It is comfortable life. Rapid ageing process was expected that in 2025, it will increase to 9.2 caused by decreasing fertility, death and percent. In real total population, it will increase increasing quality of healthcare, prosperity and from 667,079 to 2.85 million people for the same better nutrition which in turn will increase life year. This expected increase gives a clear expectancy16). In Japan for example, in 2000, message on the increase of senior citizen size in 16.3 percent of its population of 131.2 million the future. A big number of them are expected people were senior citizen aged 65 years and to be women with small number of children or above. In the same time, Japan also has the unmarried women. This raises the question on lowest crude birth rate in the world which is who is supposed to look after their everyday life. about 10.0 per 1,000 population19),20). In 2010 it The number of senior citizen in Malaysia is is estimated that the total young people or expected to increase and according to the 2000 children in the age group of 0–14 years will be census, from 23,274,690 people, 3.9 percent lower which is 18.7 percent compared to 20.0 were 65 years and above or 6.2 percent were 60 percent population in the age group of 65 years years and above. If senior citizen were consid- and above19). ered at 60 years and above, 1.45 million people The United Nation and Malaysia have declared fall into this group which must be given the best 1st October of each year as the World Senior attention and management. Citizen Day. For Malaysia this is an appropriate Geographic Information System (GIS) refers step to increase awareness in the community to computer hardware and software designed to and cultivate caring attitude towards senior collect, store and analyse object and phenome- citizen18). Hopefully this effort will enhance non where spatial location is an essential or moral and material support for the senior citizen critical characteristic for analysis21)–23). For who has contributed to the nation’s development. Star and Estes24), Aronoff25) and Dangermond26) Senior citizens are an important asset because GIS refers to a combination of operation that is their experience and knowledge are valuable capable to collect, acquire, store, manage as well and should be encouraged to continue contribut- as analyse data to produce information that can ing to the country’s development. be used in decision making process. Since 1957, the change in age structure in In Malaysia, GIS application or the use of Malaysia involve three age groups namely 0–14 mapping method in population study has been 60 Spatial Distribution of Senior Citizen in Peninsular Malaysia 1991 and 2000 conducted and produced studies on race segre- Ⅲ．Data and Study Area gation spatial pattern change in Pulau Pinang 27) 1980–1990 , population spatial concentration This study was based from the 1991 and 2000 pattern change in Sabah and Sarawak 1980– census published by the Department of Statistic 28) 2000 and population spatial concentration Malaysia30)–32). The study area includes all dis- 29) change in Peninsular Malaysia . tricts in Peninsular Malaysia (Fig. 1). There were two levels of data used and analysed. The first was senior citizen data at state level and the second at district level. Figure 1. Study Area – Peninsular Malaysia 61 USMAN Yaakub ･ TARMIJI Masron ･ FUJIMAKI Masami between 1991 census and 2000 census in the Ⅳ．Senior Citizen Spatial Pattern in number of senior citizen. In 1991, there were Peninsular Malaysia four districts with 551 to 12,307 people, one Based on the number and senior citizen district with 12,308 to 24,064 people and two spatial distribution, there exist some interesting districts with 24,065 to 35,821 senior citizens. patterns by location and space. In the state of In 2000 there were five districts showing senior Pahang for example, there is no difference in citizen increase namely the District of Segamat, total senior citizen number between the dis- Kluang and Potian with 12,308 to 24,064 people, tricts in 1991 where each district has between the Batu Pahat District with 24,065 to 35,821 551 and 12,307 senior citizen (Fig. 2), neverthe- people while the Johor Bahru District with less, in 2000 a slight increase was found in 35,822 to 47,578 senior citizen. Kuantan District with 14,481 senior citizens Perak showed the most senior citizen spatial (Fig. 3). For Johor, a clear variation existed variation in 1991 and 2000 census (Fig. 2 · 3). Figure 2. Number of Senior Citizen’s Population in 1991 62 Spatial Distribution of Senior Citizen in Peninsular Malaysia 1991 and 2000 In 1991 census there were four districts namely showed the number of senior citizen in the Kerian, Manjung and Perak Tengah with 551 to range of 551 to 12,307 people. While four 12,307 senior citizens, Larut Matang District districts were in the range of 12,308 to 24,064 with 12,308 to 24,064 people and Kinta District people and Petaling with 24,065 to 35,821 with 47,579 to 59,335 senior citizen. Whereas people (Fig. 2). For the 2000 census, six districts in 2000 census, two out of seven districts in retained the number of senior citizen in the Perak has 551 to 12,307 senior citizen, three range of 551 and 12,307 people, three districts districts with 12,308 to 24,064 senior citizen, one with 12,308 to 24,064 people and the remaining district with 24,065 to 35,821 senior citizen and two districts with 24,065 to 35,821 people. lastly, Kinta with 59,336 to 71,092 senior citizen. From Figure 2 and 3, Wilayah Persekutuan For Selangor in 1991 census, five out of 9 Kuala Lumpur recorded total senior citizen in districts namely Hulu Selangor, Sabak Bernam, the group of 47,579 to 59,335 people in 1991 Kuala Selangor, Kuala Langat and Sepang and the number increased to 59,336 to 71,092 Figure 3. Number of Senior Citizen’s Population in 2000 63 USMAN Yaakub ･ TARMIJI Masron ･ FUJIMAKI Masami people in 2000 census. For Negeri Sembilan, long-run, the low birth rate will accelerate Melaka, Kelantan and Kedah, there were not population ageing process as what is happening much difference in the pattern and total number in the developed countries.