The Union Network International - Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI-MLC) and the unions in the government-linked companies (GLCs) have submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Najib Abdul Razak, on Oct 4, 2016 urging the prime minister to consider to standardise the pension rates for ex-employees in GLCs.

GLC employees are currently not entitled to the same terms of employment protection legislation as those working in the public sector. The unions stated that this was unfair to the GLC employees and pensioners as they joined the companies as pioneers and should receive equal benefits.

In light of this, the unions have urged a review of pension rates in view of rising costs of living. Many GLC retirees are currently receiving about RM150 to RM350 per month, a far cry from RM820, the minimum pension rate in the public sector.

These employees, the former civil servants, made the privatisation programme of the government a great success. The unions in the GLCs strongly feel that the government has the duty to the rakyat as a whole for improving the well-being of all and in particular of those who live below the poverty line.

This issue involves more than 200,000 workers who are loyal and proud Malaysians and have the tradition of supporting government policies on all economic and social development in the country.

Some of the retirees are receiving pensions as low as RM150 to RM350 per month. When these retirees were forced to retire at a young age because of the privatisation, their salaries were low and their service period was also short. However, with present living costs, the pension amount received by GLC retirees could not cover the expenses for the retirees themselves, let alone to support their families, including children who are still in school.

The GLC workers have full confidence that the government under the prime minister will take care of the GLC retirees since they were ex-civil servants, recognised and given a pension, albeit a small amount.

The value of RM150 to RM350 pensions paid in 1985 and the value today in 2016 after 31 years since privatisation is not the same. The pensioners are morally depressed, facing hardship and the expectations are high among the GLCs pensioners for urgent intervention from the government.

With the present cost of living, hardship and medical expenses, the unions of government-linked companies propose for the minimum living cost to begin with RM800.00.

On behalf of the 200,000 GLC workers and their families, we pledge our undivided support for the prime minister’s great effort for the economic programmes and social change in our country and fully trust that YAB will consider the plight of the GLC workers many of whom are living in abject poverty.

Salam 1Malaysia.

MOHAMED SHAFIE BP MAMMAL is president, Union Network International - Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI-MLC).