MUAR: Pensions provided to Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) veterans are not meant to merely sustain their remaining years but to help them embark on new pathways, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
He explained that most ATM veterans retire at a relatively young age—around 42 years old—when they are still energetic and capable of acquiring new skills or starting their own businesses.
“The government is focusing on this matter to ensure that when they reach retirement age, they can secure better, suitable, and reasonable employment. We do not want them to rely solely on their pensions.
“Instead, we aim to bridge the income gap among newly retired veterans through new job opportunities or improved employability,“ he told reporters after presenting Armed Forces Veterans’ Disability Compensation (GHU) cheques here today.
Also present was the ATM Department of Veterans Affairs (JHEV) director-general, Major General Datuk Semaon Marjuki.
Mohamed Khaled also noted that, to date, more than 300 ATM personnel have applied to further their studies at the diploma level through the Work-Based Learning (WBL) programme to enhance their career prospects and overall well-being after service.
“We are grateful that, for the first time, the government has allocated RM3 million this year to fund WBL costs, covering approximately RM6,000 per participant,“ he said.
Currently, universities involved in WBL include Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), with discussions ongoing to include other institutions.
On September 15 last year, Mohamed Khaled was reported to have encouraged ATM personnel and young soldiers to participate in WBL programmes to earn higher education qualifications, enabling them to enter new fields post-retirement, similar to practices in Germany and the United States.
Earlier, Mohamed Khaled presented GHU benefits to seven ATM veterans and care packages to nine others facing various challenges, including hearing and speech impairments, service-related injuries, aging-related illnesses, heart disease, and disabilities, as well as those caring for children with disabilities.
One recipient, 79-year-old Abu Bakar Khamis, an ex-Corporal and single father of six, expressed gratitude upon receiving RM42,000 in assistance. He suffered injuries to his left hand and right thigh from a gunshot wound sustained during an ambush by communist insurgents.
For the record, a total of 1,825 ATM veterans nationwide have suffered disabilities, including injuries sustained during active duty, with 292 of them injured during high-risk operations and training exercises.
