Senior Citizens' Day celebrated

JAKARTA: President Soeharto called on the community yesterday to draw up various programs to solve problems faced by senior citizens in the country.

"The increase in the number of senior citizens makes us happy but, on the other hand, it poses a new challenge that should be dealt with," the head of state said in a nationwide televised address marking Senior Citizens' Day, which falls on May 29, but was only commemorated yesterday.

The address coincided with Soeharto's own 76th birthday yesterday, which he did not celebrate because his family had just held a ceremony in memory of the late First Lady Tien Soeharto, who died on April 28 last year.

National development, Soeharto said yesterday, has successfully decreased the infant mortality rate as well as improved life expectancy.

Life expectancy increased to 61.3 years old in 1992 from 45.7 in 1968. At the end of the current Sixth Five-Year Development (Repelita VI) from 1994-1999, life expectancy will further increase to 65, he said.

"In the year 2000 it is predicted that the number of senior citizens over 60 will increase by more than 15 million," Soeharto said.

He said senior citizens deserved specialized health services, life-long family cards and discounted transportation fares.

"I call on the business sector to give opportunities to senior citizens who still want to work, in line, of course, with their abilities," he said.

Explaining why he had declared May 29 as "senior citizens' day", he said it was on this day that Dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat, one of the country's leading figures, was born.

"He was the chief of the BPUPKI (the investigatory body that made preparatory efforts for the country's independence) who prepared the concept of the 1945 Constitution," Soeharto was quoted by Antara as saying.

"The Indonesian people could formulate the state institution due to his wisdom," he said. (11)