KOTA BARU: The government’s plan to disburse one-off RM500 payments to eligible pensioners will benefit some 40,000 retirees in the state, said Kelantan Government Pensioners Association chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hamad.
He said that the allocation, announced in the 2019 Budget, demonstrates that the government cares for the welfare of pensioners in the country.
“Overall, the 2019 Budget proves that the government wants to create ‘prosperous people’ – and this includes civil servants and households earning low incomes.
“Before the budget was tabled, we were slightly worried, but after listening to the issues tabled by the Finance Minister, we are relieved and grateful over the announcement,” said Abdul Halim, who is also the National Government Pensioner Association vice-president.
He said the number of pensioners throughout the country stands at 800,000 – 40,000 of whom are in Kelantan.
In the 2019 Budget announced on Friday, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng announced a number of new measures aimed at ensuring the welfare of senior citizens.
He said that the government is concerned over the plight of low income-earning retired civil servants, especially those whose pensions are below RM1,000 a month.
With this in view, the government will give a one-off RM500 payment to each eligible pensioner, Lim said.