Chia Chu Hang

By Chia Chu Hang There is a well-known Asian saying – “older ginger will be spicier” – highlighting the wisdom that often comes with age. Across many Asian cultures, including our own, elders are held in high esteem, seen as valuable sources of guidance and experience. This deep-rooted respect reflect a broader tradition of valuing age not just as a number, but as a reservoir of accumulated insight. However, the increase in the elderly population is putting us between a rock and a hard place.

THERE is a well-known Asian saying—“older ginger will be spicier”—highlighting the wisdom that often comes with age. Across many Asian cultures, including our own, elders are held in high esteem, seen as valuable sources of guidance and experience. This deep-rooted respect reflect a broader tradition of valuing age not just as a number, but as a reservoir of accumulated insight. However, the increase in the elderly population is putting us between a rock and a hard place.

Opinions on topical issues from thought leaders, columnists and editors. By Chia Chu Hang There is no shortage of evidence to prove that the threats climate change poses to human survival are huge, and its impact has been getting bigger and more obvious. California, in the United States, has started 2025 by fighting two of the most destructive wildfires in its history (). Now, Japan is in the midst of battling the largest wildfire since the late 1980s (The Guardian, 2025).