GEORGE TOWN: Defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein has come under fire from former servicemen for avoiding a debate on their welfare issues, and coming up with “nonsensical” excuses.
Retired armed forces captain Wong Ang Peng, 67, said Hishammuddin had been “talking nonsense” in dismissing the call for a debate.
“He should pay attention to anything related to their pensions issue,” he told FMT. “They (veterans) are like his children. They are his responsibility.
“He can’t say that other departments or ministries are involved. He has to bring up the grievances of the veterans, even if other ministries like the finance ministry are involved.”
Hishammuddin had dismissed an army veteran’s call for a debate on pension and welfare issues, saying the debate could involve the entire Cabinet as it was linked to the country’s finances.
Wong acknowledged that Mindef was not the sole party responsible for the veterans’ welfare, but said Hishammuddin should not have brushed aside the issue as the problems had long been unresolved.
“The pensions issue has been highlighted for 10 to 15 years, and one minister after another has given sweet talk and empty promises. So it dragged on until they reached the limit of their (veterans’) patience last week,” he said in reference to a rally held at Tugu Negara (National Monument) last Monday.
Wong, now an economist and health researcher, said the defence ministry could not afford to ignore the debate since most of the veterans were living in poverty because of the meagre pension they were receiving.
Navy veteran Rafique Ali Ahmad Nordin, 63, said Hishammudin’s response indicated a lack of interest by Mindef about the veterans’ welfare.
“They have no intention of even talking to us, although the problem is of their own making,” he told FMT.
He said the veterans were clear about what they wanted – a review of their pension scheme, and the payment of pension for servicemen who had served for fewer than 21 years.
Currently, only servicemen who have served for at least 21 years are eligible for pension.
Servicemen who retired before 2003 would also be receiving a much smaller pension under the previous pension scheme than those who retired later.
Rafique, a former naval engineer, also said the veterans were asking for a judicial review on the pension eligibility rule since parliamentarians were eligible for pensions after three years of service, and civil servants can receive their pensions after 10 years of service.