IN THE article, 'When ladies' night isn't for all ladies' (ST, July 11), Dr Andy Ho discussed the marginalising effects of age and gender discrimination.

Dr Ho suggested that older women who are discriminated against could perhaps contest the issue in the courts. His article made me wonder whether the rights of older adults are protected by our laws.

Currently, 7 per cent of Singapore's population is over the age of 65 and, by 2030, this will increase to 19 per cent.

Additionally, Singapore has one of the fastest-growing ageing populations in Asia.

There is psychological research which shows that those who are 65 and above perceive they have lower status than those who are middle-aged, and they are more likely to perceive age discrimination directed against them.

Research has also shown age consistently plays a negative role in hiring decisions and evaluation of older adults' work performance.

Because of these reasons, policies relating to age discrimination in the workplace should be addressed.

Currently, there are no legal protections or policies in place that prevent discrimination from taking place in workplaces, for example, employers giving preferential treatment to younger job applicants, giving more promotion opportunities to younger people in the organisation while letting the older adults languish in the system, laying off disproportionately more older and more experienced workers or conferring full-time status on younger part-time employees over older part-time employees who have worked in the organisation for many years.

It is a known and unfortunate fact that older adults experience and accept age discrimination in work settings.

While I acknowledge the contribution of the Government in providing infrastructure and a commerce-friendly environment for big businesses to thrive, we should take into account the rights of the people who in their prime contributed to the prosperity of these corporations.

I would like to propose that the authorities consider a comprehensive policy which protects the rights of older workers.

Perhaps a commission or national committee comprising human-resource officers, chief executive officers, social workers, conflict-mediation specialists and policymakers should be set up to discuss how we could address age-related discrimination in the workplace. Protecting the rights of older adults is the hallmark of a civil society.

Dr Adrian John Kok Chung Ming