No plans to adjust pension of old batch of ex-servicemen with later batch

The government has no plans to adjust the pension of the old batch of ex-servicemen with that of the later batch of ex-servicemen. Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri told Dewan Negara today that the pension paid to civil servants and ex-servicemen was based on the last salary drawn. "The gap exists due to improvements of the civil service salary scheme and the military staff salary scheme made by the government from time to time. "If the structure of the pension payment is to be adjusted, it should involve the entire civil service and this will involve a huge expenditure," he said in reply to a question from Senator Datuk Jamilah Sulaiman. Retirees including ex-servicemen were never marginalised by the government which adjusted the pension every time the salary adjustment for civil servants and military staff was implemented. The government last year adjusted the pension of government retirees including ex-servicemen which saw them receive an increase of 7 percent to 13 percent according to rank and qualification with a minimum pension of RM820. Abdul Rahim told the senate the government was concerned with the cost of living of government retirees particularly ex-servicemen. "Hence, to ease their burden, from January 1, the government implemented a 2 percent pension increase annually without waiting for salary adjustment or automatically for civil servants and military staff who are still serving." Responding to a suggestion from Senator Syed Husin Ali that military retirees be given land to build houses and for farming, Abdul Rahim said it was subject to the jurisdiction of the state governments. "The decision to award land lies with the state governments. There are state governments that have agreed to do so," he added.