Majlis Bandaraya Seberang Perai (MBSP) or Seberang Perai City Council currently provides essential municipal services and targeted programs, including accessibility features and community initiatives that benefit older persons in Seberang Perai. However, a comprehensive, integrated framework is now critical as this is driven by the demographic reality that all three districts under MBSP jurisdiction—Seberang Perai Utara (SPU), Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT), and Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) — have reached or exceeded the 7% threshold for a population aged 65 years and above, classifying them as an ageing society.

To address this demographic shift and to enhance citizen well-being, MBSP is committed to creating a fully age-friendly environment for all residents of Seberang Perai. This commitment will be executed through a focused and customised Age-Friendly City Strategic Action Plan over a three to five-year period in collaboration with the Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC).

This initiative will adopt and adhere to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Age-Friendly Cities framework and guidelines. Over the three to five years, MBSP will systematically focus on all eight domains as provided by WHO. The implementation will utilize MBSP’s proven bottoms-up approach, derived from the successful Gender Responsive and Participatory Budgeting (GRPB) Model implemented over the past decade. This methodology ensures that planning, resource allocation, and policy development are deeply informed by the direct needs and participation of the community members, leading to effective and sustainable outcomes.

With the groundwork laid over the years and to meet the needs of different residents, especially older people, MBSP is at the right time and place to embark on this journey to be an age-friendly city.