LIVING ARRANGEMENTS OF OLDER MALAYSIANS - WHO CORESIDES WITH THEIR ADULT CHILDREN

More than two-thirds of Malaysians age 60 or older coreside with an ad ult child. Data from the Senior sample of the Second Malaysian Family Life Survey (MFLS-2) are used to investigate which ''seniors'' (person s age 60 or older) live in this way. The analysis generally supports t he notion that coresidence is influenced by the benefits, costs, oppor tunities, and preferences for coresidence versus separate living arran gements. For example, married seniors are more likely to coreside with adult children when housing costs are greater in their area or when t he husband or wife is in poor health. This finding suggests that marri ed parents and children live together to economize on living costs or to receive help with household services. Unmarried seniors who are bet ter off economically are less likely to live with adult children, pres umably because they use their higher incomes to ''purchase privacy.''