ID :
282851
Thu, 04/25/2013 - 11:41
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/282851
The shortlink copeid
The Struggle Of British Malaya Veterans Continues
By Wan Shahara Ahmad Ghazali
KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- The sacrifices of veteran soldiers who
served under the British-Malaya army during the pre and early post independence
period are appreciated by the Malaysian government.
In fact, under the 2013 Budget, the government had allocated a handsome
reward for the 224,000 Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) non-pensionable veterans
with a one off payment worth RM1,000 (US$329) disbursed since November 2012.
Since the establishment of the Veteran Affairs Department (VAD) in 2001, the
veteran definition has been extended to encompass the non-permanent members of
the armed forces service.
Now, even volunteers conscripted into the armed forces, members of the Force
136, members of the British Army who served in Malaya/Malaysia or Singapore and
members of the Sarawak Rangers who ended their service in dignity.
THE BRITISH-MALAYA VETERANS
Although members of the British-Malaysia force do not enjoy pension
payments, due to the recognition as Armed Forces Veterans, they enjoy a number
of benefits under the Welfare, Education and Medical Assistance Scheme.
The assistance that these veterans mostly yearn for is the form of medical
and hospitalisation benefits (free) especially when looking at the fact many of
these veterans are frail with most of them in their 70s and 90s.
Lately, the government had extended the 1Malaysia Non-pensionable Veterans'
Assistance (SVTB1M) to widows of veterans.
Life has been tough for many of the widows following the demise of their
husbands, noted the President of the Ex-British Malaysia Soldiers' Association,
Che Onn Neamat, 72.
The veteran urged the widows to come forward to claim the SVTB1M at VAD
offices nationwide.
PENSION WILL BE HELPFUL
As for the record, the association wants to attract the prime minister's
attention in approving a pension scheme to assist these British-Malaya veterans
in completing their vestiges of life.
These veterans had served on the frontlines of Malaya and Singapore before
their regiment was disbanded, therefore many of these veterans could not
complete the required 21 years of service to qualify for pension payments.
Some like Che Onn, who had technical skills as he was attached to the
mechanical division, managed to land decent job but it was not the case for low
ranking members who had to endure hardships to earn a living.
"We have sacrificed a lot during our younger days especially during the
Japanese Occupation, the Indonesian Confrontation and the Emergency.
"However, now in the last vestiges of our life many of us are facing
difficulties with some still having to work to make ends meet," he lamented
adding that pensions for these small group of veterans would not cause the
government much.
Therefore, Che Onn hoped that the government would decide on the pensions to
these veterans as soon as possible as almost every month there is a veteran
passing away due to old age.
HELPING THE SICK
In fact, members of the British-Malaya army who had served in the
Commonwealth nations are entitled for annual grants from a voluntary body known
as the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League (RCEL).
Unfortunately, since the British Malaya regiment was disbanded in 1971, no
efforts have been undertaken to track down and assist ex-veterans in applying
for the RCEL grant. Thus they have been totally neglected.
Hence in May 2009, Che Onn and 10 of his ex-colleagues decided to form an
association for the welfare of their compatriots and they started tracking
keeping track of former members of the British-Malaya army personnel.
And within four years of its establishment, the association has managed to
keep track of more than 1000 ex-British-Malaya soldiers including their widows,
bringing new hope for the veterans and their dependents who are now in their
golden years, with many ravaged by health problems or bedridden.
RECOGNISED BY RCEL
The association's biggest achievement is in convincing RCEL to approve 413
welfare grants worth RM676,946 (US$222,716) for the poor and sick veterans.
The earnest efforts also earned the association recognition from RCEL as the
official body looking after the welfare of British-Malaya veterans. The
recognition came during RCEL's 31 convention in Malta last year represented by a
delegation of 1,700 members from 46 Commonwealth nations including Malaysia
represented by Che Onn.
"In that convention, Malaysia was praised for its welfare aid to veterans
unlike many of the third world nations," said Che Onn.
RCEL has agreed to convene the next convention in 2016 in Kuala Lumpur and
the following one in 2021, in Cape Town, South Africa celebrating RCEL's 100th
anniversary.
LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
Nevertheless, due to their advancing age, Che Onn and other office bearers
of the association - Joseph Scully, 68, Mohamad Isro Jabar, 73, and Abdul Jabar
Mukibat, 72, fear that they may not be able to run the association.
In fact Che Onn recently suffered a heart attack while on the way to RCEL's
headquarters in London last month.
Thus they are calling upon young volunteers to help the association advocate
the fate of the members and widows in the future.
Touching on the 13th General Election on May 5, Che Onn expressed that;"
Never mind about age or political leanings, that is a personal choice, what is
important is that they exercise their rights as voters," he said lamenting on
those who take their voting rights lightly.
Nevertheless, he hoped that the younger generation would appreciate the good
life, peace and harmony that they enjoy today, which are possible because of the
sacrifices of the older generation including the veterans.
-- BERNAMA