An acquaintance of mine hit 60 last year; Great health, sharp mind, still eager to contribute. But the company said no. Another colleague got a two-year extension, and that’s the max the company’s offering. FeelsBadMan.

That’s why I say: yes to 65 and beyond!

The old saying went, “Life begins at 40.”
But with modern medicine and longer life expectancy, the game has changed — “Fifty is the new forty,” and sixty? That’s just second gear.

That’s a simplistic take. The issue isn’t older workers “hogging jobs”. It’s companies failing to invest in succession planning and fair wage structures. This isn’t a zero-sum game where a 60-year-old cancels out a fresh grad. In fact, seasoned professionals raise the bar and often mentor the next wave.

And let’s not kid ourselves: companies already hold the sword. They can (and do) cut people loose whenever they want. Adjusting the retirement age doesn’t suddenly hand them new “leverage” — they’ve always had it.

If you truly want to empower young talent, push for better training, smarter hiring, and actual innovation — not lazy age-based offloading. Respecting experience isn’t charity; it’s strategic.

And if a 60-something is still the man pulling results?

Like Ric Flair said:
“To be the man, you gotta beat the man! Woooo!”

If junior can’t step up and outperform, that’s not the veteran’s fault.
That’s just the game.

No one’s asking for a thousand‑page thesis; just a bit more nuance. If you’re going to discuss workforce dynamics and retirement policy, you need more than a bumper‑sticker slogan.

Oversimplifying labor economics and age demographics doesn’t make you pragmatic; it makes you part of the problem.

Pointing fingers at a 60‑year‑old still delivering results is easy. Holding companies accountable for lazy HR, nonexistent succession planning, and wage‑suppression tactics—now that’s the hard work.

So no, you don’t need a thousand pages. You just need more depth than:

“Old people working = young people jobless.”
That’s not analysis. That’s pub talk.

I'm going to focus on current EPF Withdrawal Rules, based on official guidelines:

Age	EPF Withdrawal Options
50	Partial or full withdrawal of Account 2
55	All savings consolidated into Account 55. You can withdraw fully or partially at any time. Contributions after 55 go into Akaun Emas, which can only be withdrawn at age 60.
60	Savings in Akaun 55 and Akaun Emas are consolidated again. You can withdraw lump sum or partially anytime to support your retirement.

This system already gives a flexible and practical structure for retirement planning. And yes, if the retirement age is officially extended in the future, it’s highly likely EPF will simply create another contribution account (post-60) with withdrawal at 65, following the same structure.

Also, don’t forget; Dividends continue to be paid on all savings until age 100. There’s no loss of returns just because you don’t withdraw early.

If you're uncertain about any details, just give EPF a call or drop them an email. They’re pretty helpful.

Look, I love the X-Files, The Lone Gunmen, and Strange World as much as the next guy; But let’s not turn every policy discussion into another conspiracy thread.

Facts help people plan. Fear just makes them panic.

Where do you get your numbers from? Don’t believe everything you hear at the kopitiam or from conspiracy theorists.

Let’s ground this discussion in actual data:

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Labour Market Review, Q1 2025, the total labour force stands at 17.23 million, with a labour force participation rate of 70.1% and an employment-to-population ratio of 67.4%. The unemployment rate is just 3.1%, reflecting a stable and generally healthy job market across age groups.

What about workers over 35?
It’s true that some sectors make it harder to re-enter the job market after 35—especially without continuous upskilling. But to claim that companies no longer hire anyone above 35 just isn’t supported by the facts.

Many industries—healthcare, education, skilled trades, engineering, IT, and professional services—value maturity, expertise, and leadership experience, often preferring individuals with 10–20 years of insight.

In fact, workers aged 40–59 consistently make up a substantial share of the Malaysian workforce, as confirmed by previous DOSM reports.

Why raise the retirement age?
It’s not about governments avoiding pensions. It’s about longer life expectancy, healthier ageing, and the need to sustain pension systems amid declining birth rates. Nations like Germany, Japan, the UK, and even China are raising retirement ages toward 65–67, not out of malice, but necessity.

Instead of doom-posting, we should be pushing for:

• Lifelong learning
• Skills retraining
• Better hiring practices in the private sector
• More flexible work arrangements

Scapegoating older workers or panicking about policy changes won’t help anyone. Build a system where every generation has a fair shot at growth.

Source: DOSM Labour Market Review Q1 2025 (PDF) https://storage.dosm.gov.my/analysis/lmr_2025-q1_en.pdf

In the legendary words of Macho Man Randy Savage:

If you've got the skills, the drive, and the grit—age ain't nothing but a number.

This post has been edited by Catnip: May 25 2025, 08:02 AM