PUTRAJAYA: After a gruelling five-day walk from Simpang Pulai, Perak, a group of armed forces veterans finally reached the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in Putrajaya today to hand over a memorandum calling for improved welfare for veterans.
The memorandum was received by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s political secretary, Syed Mohd Fazmi Sayid Mohammad, who shared that Ismail could not be present because of other commitments.
“I will bring this memorandum to the prime minister,” Syed Fazmi said, adding that he was proud of the veterans who had walked more than 200km, all the way from Perak.
Pertubuhan Suara Patriotik Rakyat Malaysia (PSPRM) president Mior Rosli Mior Jaafar was disappointed that Ismail could not receive the memorandum personally.
“If the government does not want to listen, we will go to court, as what we are fighting for is within the law. We will let the courts determine the matter.
“But if the prime minister decides to resolve this as soon as possible, praise be to God, we won’t pursue this in court,” Mior said.
This morning, more than 100 veterans from all over Malaysia gathered at Masjid Putra here in solidarity with the 25 veterans who made the long trek, before marching to Seri Perdana.
They sang patriotic songs, with the occasional cry of “Veterans!” being echoed by a resounding roar of “Bangkit!” from the group.
Several vehicles also showed their support by honking their horns as they passed the marchers.
On reaching the PMO, the group sang Negaraku and recited a prayer before handing over the memorandum.
Spokesman for the group Vasanthi Magadalane expressed her gratitude for the help the group received during the walk.
“When we started, we didn’t know where we would be staying each night, but so many people came forward to give us shelter and food. They came to help us everyday,” she said.
She said army veterans had been pleading with the government to resolve matters pertaining to their welfare for the past eight years, to no avail.
This prompted them to march from Perak to Putrajaya to show that it was important that their demands were met.
The demands include rectifying a pension anomaly for veterans who retired before 2013, in line with higher pensions given to those who retired after changes were made to the Pensions Act that year.
The group also urged for pensions to be given to those who had not completed the required 21 years of service, and pardon those discharged for committing minor military offences. - FMT
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