Recognising the need to give purpose to retiring or retired individuals, the Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) introduced a specially-designed programme to help senior citizens keep active after retirement. Called the Raja Mohar Life Enrichment Awards (RAMLEA), the programme helps senior citizens with vast life experience and knowledge channel their expertise to nurture others. MIM manager Margaret Soo said the "silver haired" community could channel their expertise and use their experiences to help mould the younger generation as well as help build society. "The recent education system has not produced a skilled workforce to meet the demands of the day and this is where the elderly, with their wealth of knowledge and experience, can help," Soo said. She said the five-day residential programme, from Dec 12 to 16 at Hotel Flamingo Kuala Lumpur, was divided into four areas and helped participants identify areas where they could lend a hand. The areas were small business enterprise, nature, conservation and environment, community involvement and development, and creativity and innovation. Soo said each participant was required to come up with an action plan and given time to work on it. "MIM will follow up on their action plan in three months. "The result of this programme will be evaluated at the RAMLEA 2 which takes place at the end of next year," she said. MIM chief executive Foo Sheh Loon said with nation-building in mind, the institute started the Tun Razak Youth Leadership Award 12 years ago, a programme designed for young people aged between 19 and 30. Subsequently, the Tun Hussein Onn Renewal Award, designed for those aged between 35 and 40 years, was introduced to help successful individuals from the corporate world realise the role they could play in nation-building. "It was a natural step to focus our attention on people in the senior age group and what they could do for society. "Older people who have worked their entire lives have amassed so much knowledge and it will be a waste not to put to good use their knowledge and experiences," Foo said.

"The recent education system has not ptoduced a skilled workforce to meet the demands of the day and this is where the elderly, with their wealth of knowledge and experience, can help." Margaret Soo - Manager KAF Programme "Older people who have worked their entire lives have amassed so much knowledge and it will be a waste not to put to good use their knowledge and experiences." Foo Sheh Loon - Chief Executive Officer, MIM.

"There are so many areas where retired people can contribute and with time on our hands, this is a good opportunity to serve society." Bernard Yong - Participants of RAMLEA 2004

A participant, semi-retired business coach Bernard Yong, 53, said the programme afforded many options, sending a message that life did not end after retirement. "There are so many areas where retired people can contribute and with time on our hands, this is a good opportunity to serve society," said Yong. He would be using his expertise in marketing, branding and fundraising to set up a consultancy, offering free services to non-government organisations. The programme was funded by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Germany and supported by the Forest Reserve Institute Malaysia, Malaysian Invention and Design Society, ERA, National Council of Senior Citizens Organisations Malaysia, National Council of Women's Organisation, Malaysian Nature Society, National Kidney Foundation and Pure Life Society.

About Malaysian Institute of Management

The Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) is the national management organisation established in 1966 to provide a resource for developing professional managers for the country and to represent the voice of management. MIM is a professional association of managers and organisations, independent, non-political and non-profit seeking. It is also a development centre to enhance and maintain management standards. It serves as a bridge between private and public sectors, institutions of higher learning and the world of management practice and also as a platform for the free exchange of management knowledge and experience.