The leader of a group of army veterans who are fighting for the rights of former soldiers who have been denied welfare is prepared to meet with Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein - on one condition.
Suara Veteran chairperson Abdul Rahman Husain said the meeting must be televised to the public, as previous closed-door meetings have proven unfruitful.
The inspiration for the live on-air meeting was the debate between former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
"Do an open discussion at the Defence Ministry auditorium like the Najib-Anwar debate so that others can listen and see for themselves.
"If we present our proposal for veterans' welfare behind closed doors, the same thing will happen.
"They say they will study our proposals but then forget about it," Abdul Rahman told Malaysiakini.
Suara Veteran is planning to hold a rally on June 6 to highlight the plight of former security forces, including those not formally recognised as veterans.
Last Friday, Hishammuddin said that veterans who have any suggestions on welfare can meet with the ministry instead of taking to the streets.
Abdul Rahman, however, said that his side had already met with Hishammuddin in 2017, when he was also serving as defence minister, to discuss veteran welfare issues.
"He said that changes for veterans would be announced before the (2018) general election and that we should wait.
"Now it's 2022 and there is still nothing. In the five years we have waited, many veterans have passed away. Are we to wait another five years?" he asked. - Mkini
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