Encouraging Voluntary WorkAmong Public Service Retirees:How Policy Intervention Can Help

This paper is part empirical and part theoretical. It argues that for volunteerism to be a permanentfeature in the society there must be a public policy that encourages, motivates and appreciatesthe value of volunteerism, and that it should be consciously ack now ledged in the community.Tobe able to create this sense, a new developmental view on the contributive roles of the ageingpopulation must be in place in the policy intervention. Malaysia, a rapid ly industr ializing countryin the Asian region, must recognize the fact that a great number ofwilling and committed retireescould be tapped as potential volunteer workers for the continuing development of the broadercommunity.