REPRESENTATIONS OF THE ELDERLY IN MALAYSIAN PRIMARY SCHOOL NATIONAL LANGUAGE TEXTBOOKS

By 2030, Malaysia will become an 'aging society' according to the World Bank's criteria. The government bears the responsibility of effectively managing the demographic changes. This paper analyses how elderly characters are portrayed in Malaysian primary school national language textbooks (Buku Teks Bahasa Melayu Sekolah Kebangsaan, years 1-6) and compares them to the aims set forth in the 2011 ‘Malaysian Five Dimensions Framework of National Policy for Older Persons’. The findings reveal that elderly individuals are often depicted as non-contributing, weak, ill, or chronically dependent, thus perpetuating stereotypes and biases. This leads to children absorbing and acknowledging these biases without critically examining them. Textbook writers should implant more realistic and helpful representations of the aged among children as they begin their own journeys into adulthood and old age. Elderly misrepresentations limit social awareness of ageing and reduce empathy and interest in finding solutions for their problems.