KUALA LUMPUR: A recipient of the country's highest gallantry award feels veterans are underappreciated despite risking life and limb for Malaysia.
Retired police Special Branch officer Datuk Paul Kiong, one of the select few to be awarded the Darjah Kebesaran Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP), wants the government to safeguard their welfare, especially those who have lost limbs and have minimal support at home.
He calls for a revision of veterans' service pensions based on current salary scales, as per the recent ruling of the Federal Court, and an adjustment to the allowances for SP recipients.
Kiong, who was awarded the SP for his exploits against communist insurgents, suggested initiatives such as fast lanes at government hospitals, considering that only five SP recipients are still alive today.
The SP takes precedence over all other awards and medals in the country, even those that carry the title Tun and Tan Sri.
"For the SP award, we receive an allowance of RM2,000 a month and that was last revised in 2009. If you want to compare that with other countries like the United Kingdom, they review the allowance every five years for those who were awarded the Victoria Cross.
"We are not asking for RM10,000 or even RM20,000 but just to (review the allowance to) commensurate with our livelihood. That's all that we're asking for.
"We are grateful to the government but I believe we can do more especially with the prosperity and the peace that we brought to the country," he said in a press conference, here, today.
With Kiong was SP awardee Etim Bijam from Miri, Sarawak. Etim retired as a corporal in the Police Field Force.
Kiong said SP recipients, especially those who were elderly like Etim, should be appreciated and not forgotten.
"What for you give us the (SP) award but with no perks?" he said.
Kiong said increasing the allowance of SP recipients would be ample appreciation of the services and sacrifices of those who defended the country.
"If they do (increase the allowance), this proves that the government is aware of issues involving retired groups like us. This also means that the government always cares about our welfare," he said.
First Admiral (rtd) Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah said the pensions of military and police retirees should be reviewed as they were insufficient.
He said about 70 per cent of security forces pensioners were in the B40 group.
"The government should follow the law and review our pensions to be commensurate with the current salary scale and not the two per cent increment as they stipulated in the law in 2013. It is nullified.
"The two per cent only accounts for about RM20 to RM30 increase every year.
"The prices of goods and other necessities are increasing even more. So, we appeal to the government to consider reviewing the allowances and pensions for retired military and police personnel," he said.
Last year, the apex court nullified amendments passed by Parliament in 2013 that introduced a new scheme fixing pension increments at a two per cent annually.
The court said the amendments had put the former civil servants in a "less favourable situation" compared with serving members.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had promised that the government would look into the matter.