Treat older adults with the utmost respect and the dignity they deserve.
Pay attention to their opinions, views and complaints with patience, and value their wisdom and experience.
Small acts of respect go a long way in making older adults feel valued. This is just a little reminder to the younger generation.
On 12 August, I headed to KLIA1 to board a Batik Air flight from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi. When I arrived at the airport, I made my way to the check-in kiosk to get my boarding pass. But as the kiosk was not in working order, I turned to the Batik Air counter for my boarding pass.
Noticing a long queue, I requested help from a nearby staff member as standing too long can be tiring for some older adults.
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Instead, she politely informed me I had to queue like other passengers.
To say I was disappointed with her attitude would be an understatement. So, I had to queue for 30 minutes for my boarding pass, which was tiring for me.
On board the plane, I filled up a complaint form given to me by the flight attendant.
She told me she would submit it to the airlines’ headquarters. (So far, I have not received any reply from Batik Air.)
Upon my return on 17 August, I walked up to the Express Rail Link (ERL) counter to buy a ticket from the airport to KL Sentral. At the counter, I produced my identity card to secure a discount on the fare for those above 60. But, for unknown reasons, my card could not be read by the machine.
The counter staff told me I had to change my identity card (which I did a few weeks later). Unfortunately, she refused to give me the discount as her machine could not read my card.
So, I had to pay the full fare like others. This was despite my telling her that my date of birth was clearly stated on my identity card. I protested her decision, but it was in vain.
As an older adult, I was disappointed at having been treated this way on two separate occasions. Transport companies at all airports should be more mindful of older adults and give them all the assistance they need instead of flimsy excuses.
KLIA1 and other airports in Malaysia should instruct airlines to open priority counters for older adults and to entertain complaints whenever they are justified. Older adults should also be given priority and assistance during check-in, security checks, boarding, immigration clearance (if passport e-gates are not available or not functioning) and disembarking.
The Ministry of Transport should seriously look into this and stress to counter staff the importance of respect and courtesy to older adults.
One day, the personnel at these counters will become older adults as well. How would they feel if they were treated the way I was?
It’s time to emphasise the theme of a “caring society” – a noble motto we once subscribed to as a nation.
Showing disregard for older adults is akin to belittling our own parents. These are the people who built our beautiful country, where the younger generation now reside. Young people should never forget this.
I use the light rail transit (LRT) at least three times a week and most of the time the trains are crowded. Inside the carriage, I stand in front of the priority seats which are occupied by youths and teenagers. Never once has any young person offered me a seat, even though conspicuous signs state that these seats are meant for older adults.
I bow my head in shame when I see the callous attitude of these youngsters. Their behaviour is disgraceful. What kind of young people are we producing? Don’t their schools and parents inculcate in them noble values?
Society should celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of older adults, many of whom gave the best years of their lives to the country they love.
We may not live in a perfect world but failing to recognise the notable achievements and contributions of older adults is a heartbreaking reflection of where our country stands.
Listening to and valuing the experiences of older adults will empower the youth in their own lives. Young people need to tap the treasure trove of the wisdom of older adults for their own benefit.
Some older adults, like renowned social activist Lee Lam Thye, are still contributing to society in meaningful ways – in his case even at 77. This is remarkable, but sadly, not many younger people are aware of his deeds.
Look at my friend Peter Raiappan, a former deputy director general of industrial relations at the Ministry of Human Resources. At his octogenarian age, he remains dedicated to helping others at any hour. If fact, we even have to schedule a date, at least a week in advance, to meet him! Many years ago, a mutual friend of ours, the late teacher James Gonzales remarked, “Peter, you need 25 hours in a day!” In 2019, Peter even clambered down a drain twice and saved a beagle that had fallen in it. Few others his age would have shown such courage and concern.
Older adults like these are the unsung heroes in our society. As Winston Churchill once said: “A nation that forgets its past has no future.”
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Minister maybe in the right direction. It’s the people who are to execute who fail miserably. But mid managers should be reprimanded for being irresponsible. Sack them
YOUNGER GENERATION NEVER EDUCATED WITH RESPECT. THIS MORAL VALUES MUST TEACH FROM CHILDHOOD.
I echo Mr Lopez’s sentiments. Shame on all these people. This isn’t just about how they treat older people. I believe they treat all their customers that badly too. I stand ready to provide my own experiences of shoddy service from Malaysian companies. We just have totally low levels of customer service, although in many cases such as the KLIA Express case, the culprits are the management and not the front line staff. Once they decide to automate, they completely shut down any other way of manual intervention especially in their registration processes. The front line staff are not empowered to help customers and cannot override the system to do manual transactions even in genuine cases. Unfortunately, the victims tend to be older folk.
Very deeply touched by this article
Today families or schools or religious places do not spare time to teach younger generation basic human values.
All seem to rely on money making and comfortable life for oneself competitively. It’s a great shame.
The culprits are with us and are our own… families, schools, religions etc.
The educational system focuses on supplying machines to become money making slaves and not humans to welfare society.
Deeply painful
-Fr. Nithiya ofmcap, India ([email protected])
How different from my experience during a recent trip to China. In Qingdao (formerly Tsingtao that gave the name to the Chinese beer brand) travel by underground train is free for anyone over 60, including foreigners. All I had to do is show my passport and a ticket to any destination is issued free of charge.
On the train, whenever I enter a full coach, someone would stand up and offer me the seat (yes, I am 78 and quite white-haired). I give full marks to the young people of the land of my father for treating their elders with respect and consideration.
Unfortunately , all these comes from the home – bad manners, lack of etiquette etc etc . Additionally , the stands of school education is at its worst – students are supposed to be trained with ethics classes – but this Islamic centric education pushes Islam rather than multiracial, cultural ethics ! When they take positions of responsibility this is lacking . Look at some of the immigration, customs and government servants – a disgrace!