About 30 former servicemen gathered at the veterans’ affairs department (JHEV) here today to seek an explanation on how the pensions are calculated.
One of them, Rafique Ali Ahmad Nordin, 65, claimed that most did not receive the promised 8% increase in pensions.
“It was supposed to be 8%, but it didn’t reach that amount. For most of us, it’s only 6.4%, and some did not receive any increase at all.
“We just want to know what calculation method they used,” he said.
On Nov 7, defence minister Khaled Nordin announced that armed forces veterans who retired before January 2013 would receive the first phase of an 8% pension adjustment in December, based on their final salary in 2012.
A news portal had reported him as saying the adjustment would be made using the pension formula under the rules governing the armed forces, following the implementation of the SSPA.
Rafique said pension adjustments should be calculated in accordance with the Regular Officers Rules (Pension, Remuneration and Other Benefits) 1982.
He called on JHEV to provide proper assistance to those seeking clarification on the SSPA-based pension adjustment method.
“We were previously told by (the department) that our inquiries were subject to ongoing legal proceedings in court, so they would wait for the court’s decision.
“However, the clarification we are seeking has nothing to do with the previous remuneration system but rather the new SSPA, which is already in effect and does not depend on any court decision.
“Therefore, they have no valid reason to reject our request for clarification,” he said.
On Saturday, FMT reported that JHEV was at loggerheads with an NGO comprising former servicemen over a planned protest involving unresolved pension issues.
In a letter to Bukit Aman, JHEV urged police to stop the gathering scheduled for today.
Its director-general, Semaon Marjuki, said the NGO, Pertubuhan Pembela Pejuang Malaysia, has no locus standi to stage the protest as they are not registered with the department as a body representing former armed forces personnel.
However, Rafique said that those present today came as individuals to demand their rights and seek answers.
“We did not come under any NGO, as claimed in JHEV’s letter,” he said. - FMT
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