Army Veterans Hope Budget 2024 Brings Better Pension Deal

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Shahruddin Omar, president of the Veterans’ Association of Malaysian Armed Forces, said members are still fighting for a better pension deal 10 years after the government amended the law.PETALING JAYA: Army veterans who retired before 2013 are hoping Budget 2024, due to be tabled in October, will provide a much-needed boost to their pensions.
Veterans’ Association of Malaysian Armed Forces (PVATM) president Shahruddin Omar said this is a significant year for its members. He said 10 years have passed since the Pensions Act 1980 was amended to give veterans with at least 21 years of service a higher pension and a 2% annual increment.
However, the amendment does not apply to servicemen and women who retired prior to its introduction in 2013, leaving them drawing a meagre monthly pension of between RM500 and RM2,000.
Shahruddin claimed that around 86,000 veterans and widows only receive RM1,000 a month on average, and were fighting for a better deal.
“They have been struggling for far too long and their pension is not enough to accommodate the rising cost of living.
“Many of them are now aged 60 and above and need financial assistance. They live below the poverty line,” he told FMT, adding that the veterans were anxiously awaiting the tabling of the budget on Oct 13.
The PVATM is asking the government to continue with its current payment of special aid for its veteran pensioners, known as Penghargaan Khas Kepada Pesara (PKKP).
Shahruddin said that the PKKP aid presently makes up as much as 20% of the veterans’ income, and its withdrawal would see them severely impacted.
Separately, with Budget 2024 on the horizon, Mizan Aslam from Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia said it was high time the government invested in the latest technology amid the rise of cyber threats.
“The government has to invest more in cyber security and procure assets with the latest technology, along with funding to train its personnel accordingly, because our biggest threat in the coming years will (come in the form of) cyberattacks,” the defence and security expert said.
He said the government should also invest to beef up border security, especially at country’s border with Thailand.
Putrajaya should build a wall along the border to prevent trans-border crimes, including smuggling of subsidised items such as packets of cooking oil, said Mizan. - FMT

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