Government to study requests of army veterans
Published on: Tuesday, July 30, 2024
By: Jonathan Nicholas
Abidin (third left) and Marshid (second left) and others give the thumbs up at the launching ceremony.
Kota Kinabalu: The State Government will study the requests of army veterans in Sabah, including giving priority for SMJ Homes, annual grant increment, construction of Wisma Pahlawan and setting up a veterans village.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the State highly appreciates their sacrifices and hopes their expertise could be further used in upholding the country’s sovereignty alongside the State Government.
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“Since the establishment of the Veterans Association of Malaysian Armed Forces (PVATM) 42 years ago, leaders have come and gone.
“However, the PVATM continues to brave the tide tirelessly to look after the welfare of veterans and become a strong bridge between the veterans of the armed forces and the government.
"Thus, this general meeting today is not only a platform for us to share views and experiences, but to determine the future direction of PVATM in Sabah.
“With continuous constructive discussions and solid commitment with the government, the PVATM is able to become a more outstanding association,” he said.
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Hajiji’s speech was read by Assistant Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir at Dewan Saadah in Wisma Musi, Sunday.
He also encouraged Sabah PVATM to collaborate with government agencies and NGOs to hold seminars or workshops to build patriotism especially amongst the youth.
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The annual meeting was attended by over 200 members representing 18 branches in Sabah.
Sabah PVATM Chairman Marshid Mohd Salleh said there are over 9,000 members.
“But recent statistics show there are 22,000 unregistered army veterans in Sabah.
“This is largely due to the lack of Sabah PVATM offices. Hopefully the state government can assist this long standing problem. Sabah’s geography is spread out which makes it difficult.
“We are open not only to veterans but to their wives as well. PVATM’s function is to look after the member’s welfare and health especially in this old age.
“But our financial support is inconsistent...we hope very much the government can increase our grant,” he said, and noted that Sarawak’s veterans received RM1 million from their state government.
Of the event, he hoped those selected to lead would help improve the association’s stance in Sabah.
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