The International Senior Citizens Day is celebrated on October 1 annually for United Nations (UN) member states and the theme ‘Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support System for the Older Persons Worldwide’, unites the elderly to continue to lead and achieve Brunei Vision 2035, said Acting Director of Community Development Siti Zaharah binti Haji Abdul Razak.
She made these remarks as chairperson during a Doa Kesyukuran and Al-Quran reading competition for the Senior Citizens Activity Centre prize presentation at Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah yesterday.
She added, “As one of the top five countries in ASEAN that is heading towards an ageing population, it cannot be denied that the elderly will by no means disappear from the joint effort to determine lasting well-being in the Sultanate. This is a reflection of the elderly as people who are rich in experience and treasures of knowledge, who dare to contribute thoughts and what is also important, guiding the latest and future generations.”
For the first time this year, the Al-Quran competition was held in conjunction with the International Senior Citizens Day 2024, where 14 participants (five male and nine female) joined in the preliminary round, while eight competed in the final stage (four male and four female). – Azlan Othman
