After Mat Sabu 'snub', army veterans to march on Parliament
Army veteran group Malaysian Army Veterans Reformation Movement is planning to hold a rally to highlight matters related to veterans' welfare after a letter sent to the defence minister was purportedly ignored.
The group’s chairperson Azizan Salleh said that the Defence Ministry has yet to come out with a plan or initiative which could improve the welfare of army veterans...
Army veteran group Malaysian Army Veterans Reformation Movement is planning to hold a rally to highlight matters related to veterans' welfare after a letter sent to the defence minister was purportedly ignored.
The group’s chairperson Azizan Salleh said that the Defence Ministry has yet to come out with a plan or initiative which could improve the welfare of army veterans.
"After eight months of being a government, Pakatan Harapan, which was built on the platform of reform idealism, should have made huge changes in the army veterans' organisation and presented a blueprint for the future of the veterans.
"But until now, the veterans are still waiting for a clear direction from the Defence Ministry for the veterans," Azizan said in a press conference near the National Monument in Kuala Lumpur today.
The group's strategic director Zulkifli Osman said that they had sent a letter requesting to meet Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu last month, but it had been snubbed.
"Until now, we have yet to receive any response from the minister regarding the letter," he said.
Following this, the veterans plan to gather on March 11 when Parliament is in session, and submit a memorandum to the defence minister on veterans' welfare.
"We want a veterans act. We want to see clear aspects for the welfare of the veterans which include those who are disabled. We want to know what's the ministry's plan for our children," he said.
Zulkifli explained that the issues which they want to raise include pensions, job opportunities for veterans and their children, as well as accessing loans to start small businesses.
'Is this justice?'
He stressed that the veterans no longer benefit from the pension fund managed by the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT), which they had contributed to when they were in service.
"We should have benefited from LTAT as we contributed to the fund when we were in service. But when we left (the army), we didn't benefit from LTAT anymore. Is this justice?
"Those who left the army found themselves working as taxi drivers and security guards. Most of them are in the B40 (household income) category," he said.
Azizan said that the National Veteran Council should include more rank-and-file members because they know more about the plight of army personnel than high-ranking officers.
"All this while, the welfare of the veterans was not well taken care of by the members who were appointed by the BN government. They did not consider the problems affecting the veterans.
"Will the Harapan government repeat the failure of the previous government?"
Malaysiakini is seeking the Defence Ministry's response to the veterans' claims.
Whether real or not, truthful or not, these veterans' plights and demands are all very clear indications of the systemic failure of Malaysia's Governmental policies - which were probably adapted from Mahathir's Malay Dilemma and used as a guideline by Tun Razak to revamp Malaysia since1970. These cries are mere teardrops in the ocean, there will come a time when all Bumiputera in Malaysia will all cry buckets together and very outloud, again for all the very same things that these veterans cry for. Basically Malaysia is at the beginning of a failed state and the end results are trickling in and sufacing slowly. Veterans, Bumiputeras NGO's, Civil Service pensioners, Government supporters, etc., were all provided easy employment (armed forces, police, civil service, GLC, Petronas, etc.,) and given aids, assistance, automatic promotions, uplift, etc., throughout their lives, all served in a platter and what they are demanding is the continued services of these platters. They never had to work for their livelihoods or acquiring knowledge and skills while being temporarily employed. They were all given fish daily but were never taught how and why they had to continue become a lifetime fisherman to continue to survive. Such demands will never seize in Malaysia, well until affirmative policies are removed and Bumiputera learn and are taught proper skills of life. The leaders must think of a way to take candy away from these babies, ultimately for theirs and Malaysia's own good. Help the Malays all you want but not through preferential, affirmative and supremacist policies. Teach the people lifetime skills.
Why was there no complaint when BN was in power for 60 years?
These so called veterans are no different from the inferior complex ' haram rasis jadahs ' or social liabilities. Sokong lah lagi ekor2 penyamun dari pihak BN@Bangsat2 Negara, bodoh !
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