SERI KEMBANGAN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced five new schemes for Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) veterans including annual assistance for non-pensionable veterans and an annuity scheme.
Sharing the good news in front of more than 15,000 MAF veterans at the MAF Veterans Assembly in conjunction with the launch of the Warriors’ Fund 2017 here, Najib announced the Bantuan Bakti Negara (BBN) aid scheme which would become the initial aid from the government specifically for non-pensionable MAF veterans.
“The BBN is an annual assistance to non-pensionable MAF veterans to assist them in elevating their socio-economic level,” he said at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC).
Najib said the BBN scheme was an extension of the scheme for MAF veterans which was introduced in 2013 namely the 1Malaysia Non-Pensionable Veterans Scheme.
“This scheme was continued to ensure that the welfare of non-pensionable MAF veterans continued to be looked after by the government.
“The introduction of the BNN is a new mechanism for the government to assist the low-income and non-pensionable MAF veterans without burdening the existing government financial sources,” he said to loud applause from the people attending the gathering.
Also present were Najib’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as Patron of the Warriors’ Fund Campaign, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammudddin Hussein, Armed Forces Chief General Tan Sri Raja Affendi Raja Mohamed Noor and the president of the MAF Veterans’Association Senator Admiral Tan Sri Anwar Mohd Nor.
According to Najib, the conditions for eligibility to receive the BBN basically was the criteria that they were recipients of the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M), that is, they belonged to the B40 group, where RM1,200 would be given to 66,000 non-pensionable MAF Veterans based on the list of BR1M recipients.
“Whereas for Non-Pensionable MAF Veterans who are not recipients of BR1M, they will receive RM600 on condition that they are above 60 years old. For this purpose, 10,959 non-pensionable veterans above the age of 60 in 2017 will receive the benefit from the BBN initiative,”he said.
Announcing the second initiative named Veterans’ Annuity Scheme (SAVe), Najib said the objective was to give a lifelong monthly income to would-be non-pensionable MAF veterans like those enjoyed by veterans receiving monthly pensions.
Najib said SAVe was a form of social security net that promised financial incentives on a monthly basis to would-be non-pensionable MAF veterans through government contributions.
“SAVe covers serving MAF personnel where the initiative enables permanent MAF personnel to receive the initiative even if they intend to retire from service earlier,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the contribution under the SAVe scheme would always be in the savings account and would give monthly benefits to the veterans, and it could also be handed over to the eligible next of kin upon the death of the veteran.
“The BBN and SAVe schemes are to look after the welfare of the MAF members who have chosen to discontinue their services until the minimum period that enables them to receive the pension. Through this approach, the government is confident it can ease the burden borne by them after completing their service,”he said.
Najib announced that the third initiative which was an improvement to the Disability Pension Scheme for MAF veterans and former full-time members of the Territorial army who served less than 10 years and did not receive pension as they had to be retired early due to injury or permanent disability while on duty. --Bernama