Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans Association (PVATM) hopes Budget 2026 will help narrow the pension gap between military retirees who retired before and after Jan 1, 2013. Its president, Capt (Rtd) Sharuddin Omar, highlighted the significant disparity in pension rates, which ranges from 14 to 71.9 per cent depending on rank, between those who retired before and after the implementation date.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this gap emerged when the government introduced the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) salary increase under the Minimum-Maximum Salary Schedule (JGMM) on Jan 1, 2013, without adjusting pensions for those who retired earlier. On June 4, the Court of Appeal ruled that military retirees who left service before Jan 1, 2013, were not entitled to the JGMM pension adjustment as it pertained to salary improvements and changes in service conditions, not a salary increase.

Nevertheless, PVATM continues to advocate for the government to address this disparity and ease the rising cost of living faced by retirees, considering humanitarian, welfare, and service-sacrifice factors. Sharuddin emphasized that PVATM will persist in negotiating with the government, proposing several alternative solutions that are fair for both parties.

Sharuddin noted that most military retirees receive relatively lower pensions compared to civil servants of equivalent grades, as 92 per cent of them were from other ranks with 21 years of service. PVATM records indicate that of the 148,884 retirees drawing pensions, 40.7 per cent receive less than RM1,500 monthly, while only 11 per cent receive more than RM2,500.

PVATM is also advocating for improved eligibility for the Living Aid (BSH) scheme for both pensioned and non-pensioned veterans. They recommend revising the Poverty Line Income (PGK), which has been RM1,198 per month since 2005, to RM2,028 per month. This change would enable more veterans with incomes below the new PGK to benefit from BSH assistance.

Moreover, PVATM has proposed an increase in the Commemorative Allowance for 58 recipients of the Darjah Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP), Bintang Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB), Pingat Jasa Perkasa Persekutuan (JPP), and Pingat Panglima Tentera Udara (PTU). The current allowance, ranging from RM1,000 to RM2,000, has remained unchanged for the past 16 years.