Pensioners in Sabah also want a raise
Published on: Thursday, October 20, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah and Sarawak Government Pensioner Associations in a joint memorandum on Wednesday appealed to the Federal Government to consider better monthly pensions for them.Sabah Government Pensioners Association President Datuk Wilfred Lingham said they are submitting the memorandum so that their voices could be heard by the government to look into their needs following the rise of living costs in both states.He said the joint memorandum is representing a total of 10, 800 government pensioners comprising 3,400 pensioners in Sabah and 10,400 in Sarawak.
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"We are appealing to the Federal Government to increase the annual increment rate for the pensioners that has been adjusted to a flat rate of two per cent annually in paragraph 3 of the Pensions Act 1980 since it was implemented in 2013."Following the rising cost and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at six per cent in April 2015, we are proposing a staggered annual increment rate of between five and 20 per cent on their pensions."In other words, we are suggesting that pension be increased with immediate effect between 20 per cent per year for those getting the lowest monthly pension at RM950 and five per cent annually for the highest category of pensioners," he said.Lingham said this to reporters after signing the joint memorandum between Sabah Government Pensioners Association represented by him and Sarawak Government Pensioners Association represented by its President Julaihi bin Ismail here on Wednesday.
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He said they need the proposed staggered annual increment rate to be enforced as the meagre pension increment that they have been getting is nowhere near the rate of increase in the cost of living in Sabah and Sarawak.As for the last few years, he said the pensioners have had to endure much financial hardship due to the high cost of living and introduction of the GST that has worsened their financial situation.
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"Pensioners who are at the bottom of the pension scales are the worst affected by the current living cost."Pensioners have spent the best part of their working lives serving the government and they deserve a fair and equitable treatment from the government following their retirement," he said.Lingham said they hoped that the Federal government would consider this main proposal as they noted that the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civill Services Malaysia (Cuepacs) had proposed earlier this year for a salary revision for serving officers amounting to 35 per cent across the board.He said both associations have also agreed to appeal to the government to consider computing their pensions based on the actual length of their services in the public sector and not limited to the maximum of 30 years as currently practised.Based on Section 2 of the Pension Adjustment Act 1980 which came into force on Feb 1, 2013, Lingham said only 30 years of service are taken into account in the computation of pension while payment of the one-off gratuity, however, is based on the actual length of service."Although the pensioners may have served in the government sector for 35 or 40 years, the calculation of their payments would still be based on the maximum 30 years and not the actual length of service.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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