Don't sleep on the job, Tajuddin tells LTAT

 

Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman this evening trained his guns at the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) over what he alleged was the fund’s failure to develop military pensioners economically.

In his debate at the Dewan Rakyat, the Umno MP told the fund's management to not sleep on the job and change their mentality to help the pensioners.

"I think LTAT needs to have a psychological revamp, change the mind, culture, attitude.

"Don't just sit in the office waiting for a paycheque. You must have the will to work," he said.

He was debating the Armed Forces Fund (Amendment) Bill 2022, which was tabled by Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for its second reading.

Tajuddin said he has received many complaints from former members of the armed forces about their financial woes and difficulty in securing a job after retiring from service.

He said it is the responsibility of LTAT and the Defence Minister to help the group, adding that the issue has not been addressed for years.

"I have been involved with armed forces retiree groups for a long time. Every time they would come to me complaining that they can't get jobs, they have nothing to do, no income, and even asked me to help build houses for their members who really cannot afford a home.

"They would also ask me to secure land approval so they can work on it to earn their living. This is the same situation from years ago until this day. The point is, what is LTAT doing?

"LTAT is established to help the welfare of former service members, not only to gain and distribute dividends. Dividends are good but it is more important to take care of the retirees' interests, especially those who fell into the B40 category after they retired. Doesn’t LTAT feel any guilt?

"The management of LTAT... even the Defence Minister, changed from one minister to another, but it's still the same," he said.

Tajuddin pointed out that the fund has a huge amount of financial resources, which he said can be used to help military retirees set up their own businesses.

He suggested that LTAT allocates its funds to provide entrepreneurship opportunities for the group, such as rearing cattle and food production. - Mkini