KUALA LUMPUR — Should Malaysia push its retirement age up from 60 to 65, and if yes, how can it be done?

Currently, Malaysia’s minimum retirement age of 60 means private sector employees are protected from premature retirement before 60, while civil servants have a mandatory retirement age of 60.

However, global pension expert William Price said Malaysia needs to gradually increase its retirement age to at least 65 as Malaysians are living longer.

He said “it’s very strange that Malaysia’s retirement age has been so low for so long” when many other countries had increased theirs.

“Usually some countries do it in a crisis period where suddenly they have to increase it very rapidly and that’s tough,” he told Malay Mail at the sidelines of the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) International Social Wellbeing Conference (ISWC) 2026.

He explained that people may find it psychologically difficult to accept if the retirement age is suddenly raised, such as when a 59-year-old person thought they were one year away from retirement, but are suddenly told they have to work six years more before retiring at 65.

“But also it’s just difficult for you in terms of your life and employer, you might not have prepared for it,” the CEO of consultancy firm D3P Global Pension Consulting said.

“So countries have a gradual way, which I think Malaysia should follow, and you just say from now on each year is going to work three months longer,” he said.