Hail the captain : Capt (Rtd) Mukhtiar Singh

riccckyyy · Post time 25-10-2008 09:48 PM

When a hero almost cried

riccckyyy · Post time 25-10-2008 09:50 PM

Ministry refuses to budge
By Masami Mustaza October 23, 2008 Categories: News

The Defence Ministry issued an official statement yesterday in reply to our front page story on the plight of Capt (Rtd) Mukhtiar Singh, 76, who has been denied his pension by the Ministry. The following is a reproduction of the ministry's statement.

REGULATION OF REGULAR FORCES PENSION

Captain Mukhtiar Singh was commissioned as a Short Service Commission (SSC) officer on Jan 1, 1970, at the age of 37. He retired on July 21, 1978, at the age of 46 clocking a total of 8 years, 5 months and 12 days of service in the Regular Forces of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Prior to that, he served in the Volunteer Forces and was mobilised from July 4, 1961 to Dec 31, 1969 for a total of 8 years, 5 months and 27 days.

As an SSC officer, one is given a commission for a fixed period of years and at the end of that period, one has three choices: (1) leave the service, (2) apply for the period to be extended, or (3) apply to be a Regular Commissioned officer. All these choices will, however, go through a process where procedures and requirements have to be adhered to and fulfilled.

If one chooses to leave, one will be awarded a terminal gratuity at the rate provided in the Regular Forces (Retired Pay, Pension, Gratuities and Other Grants) (Amendment) Regulation 1975.

If one chooses to extend the SSC and it is granted, it can only be extended to the maximum of his prescribed compulsory age of retirement corresponding to his rank e.g. for a Captain, the compulsory retirement age was 45 (now 50).

Whilst, if an officer is granted a regular commission, he will serve until he reaches the prescribed compulsory retirement age corresponding to the rank. Being a regular commissioned officer comes with several benefits and privileges, pension being one of them. However, pension is not one absolute right but subject to a meritorious service. Thus, becoming a regular commissioned officer will be every SSC officer's dream, who aspires to make the Armed Forces his professional career.

Hence, if one chooses to apply for a regular commission, one has to go through a very stringent process. One is not only subjected to attendances of various basic career courses, but it also includes other requirements like recommendations from one's superior officers, examinations, interview by a board and finally the approval of the Armed Forces Council.

All these are to ensure that the officer chosen has the right quality to make the Armed Forces his professional career. Every SSC officer is aware of these requirements and if one aspires to become a Regular Commissioned officer, one must be prepared and be ready to fulfil all these necessary prerequisites. No one is spared and that includes Captain Mukhtiar Singh.

The Young Officers Tactics and Weapons Course mentioned is the first and most basic career course that an officer of the Regular Forces must attend. It trains and provides the skills and knowledge for an officer to become a platoon commander, to lead the men in his assigned platoon.

Every newly commissioned officer has to undergo this course as it will become a consideration or prerequisite for further career courses, promotions, extension of SSC, and applying for a regular commission, among others.

Usually, one will attend this course immediately after completing the Officers Cadet Training. Captain Mukhtiar Singh's failure to attend this course earlier as a newly SSC officer is debatable.

Captain Mukhtiar Singh's case falls into the second category, where his SSC was extended until he reached his compulsory age of retirement at 45 years. However, he was given a special extension of another year by the Armed Forces Council until his 46th birthday. Since he retired as a SSC officer, the Regulation (1975) only provided that he be awarded a terminal gratuity for the period of his SSC.

The current Regulation (Regular Forces (Pension, Gratuities and Other Benefits) Regulation 1982) does provide a clause that a SSC officer who retires when he reaches the compulsory age may be awarded a service pension but it is only effective for those who retired after July 1, 1980. However, if it is any consolation, the current Regulation (1982) also increases the percentage for the terminal gratuity from 10 per cent to 15 per cent and for this, the terminal gratuity that was awarded to him will be reviewed. Please contact Major Ali Puad at 03-20712498 for further details.

Much as we sympathise with Capt Mukhtiar's plea for a pension, we are also subjected to the regulations that govern any superannuation抯 award. For Captain Mukhtiar Singh's information, currently for regular commissioned officers to be awarded a service pension, one needs to clock in 20 years of reckonable service.

There is no denying Capt Muthiar Singh's immense contributions to the nation but so have many others. The Armed Forces is ever thankful for all the sacrifices and the bravery contributed by its veterans that has made what the country is now.

PUBLIC RELATIONS BRANCH
KUALA LUMPUR
22nd October 2008

the_khan · Post time 26-10-2008 03:51 AM

Boleh guna budi bicara bukan? Aku tak paham mengapa benda macam ini masih boleh berlaku dalam armed forces kita

Undang2 manusia yang buat sepatutnya kena tengok case by case scenario. Ini bukan pualang jaga kedai emas, dia dah berkhidmat menentang musuh negara. Aku tak paham rasional kenapa nak menidakkan pencen dia. nak kata kerajaan jaga kebajikan veteran ni semua aku rasa tak seberapa sajakan? Bukan banyak pun kalau mereka nak beri ikut merit dia. Benda yang senang selalu disusahkan oleh birokrasi.

hyazinth79 · Post time 26-10-2008 07:13 PM

aku tak nampak kenapa kelonggaran tak diberikan dalam kes ni, dia dah jalankan tugas dia, dah tiba gov jalankan tugas mereka, klu kes hindraf tu, yg terbabit rusuhan dibebaskan dibebaskan dr rusuhan sebab mengaku ditipu, kenapa kpd yg dah berjasa pd negara perlu dilupakan,

lgpun aku rasa atm taknak ada kes macam ni lg kot dimasa akan dtg, rang mungkin ingat benda ni remeh , tp kesannya besar pd atm, bayangkan klu ramai lg buat,

cuma dalam kes ni dia pun dah banyak contribute, jd pembayaran pencen sebenarnya amat kecil berbanding sumbangan pd negara

tangopapa · Post time 27-10-2008 09:04 PM

masalahnya bukan pada MINDEF tapi JPA.

rikiruj · Post time 27-10-2008 10:12 PM

Bila seseorang atau sesuatu organisasi tu selalu sangat melalui keadaan yang lebih kurang sama dalam masa yang panjang, akan berlaku perkara2 macam ni.  Maksud aku, kalau dalam kes ni, pegawai JPA atau Kementah yang handle kes pencen pegawai, anuiti dan sebagainya dah terima pelbagai jenis kes, contoh, mungkin setakat kes yang tak dapat pencen pasal cuma berkhidmat 19.5 years (short of 6 month to qualify) ada berpuluh.  Hence thier statement "There is no denying Capt Muthiar Singh's immense contributions to the nation but so have many others.".

Kalau nak guna budi bicara, level Menteri or pegawai2 kanan je kot.  Kalau Mr. Mukhtiar jumpa pegawai jaga pencen.. agak susah jugak depa nak layan... pasal depa dah dengar macam2 jenis keluhan sampai dah kematu dan perasaan kesian dah makin kurang... memang naluri manusia dah macam tu.. alah bisa tegal biasa.. tu pasal depa lebih suka be rigid, ikut pekeliling, rules & regulations etc.  So eloklah Mr Mukhtiar pegi jumpa pegawai atasan.. tak pun Menteri terus.. baru bole jalan..  Ni dapat masuk paper baguslah..

Sama jugak kes macam Nurse2 hospital kerajaan, emergency pada kita mungkin pada mereka biasa je... ye la.. hari2 tengok..  tu yang kadang2 nampak depa ni macam takde perasaan..

escortburuk · Post time 28-10-2008 10:38 AM

Aku mmg setuju.

superhornet · Post time 28-10-2008 10:50 AM

Aku raser ar kan org yg kat atas tu patut guna la budi bicara sikit .. lagi pun bukan nya dier minta yg bukan2 ..

panzer · Post time 28-10-2008 10:57 AM

Bagi je la pencen kat dia. Bukan byk sgt pun.. He served his country well.

tok_rimau87 · Post time 28-10-2008 11:34 AM

adeh..

anugerah kat shah rukh khan boleh bagi..

ni nak bagi pencen yg berpatutan pun x leh bagi..

yipun78 · Post time 29-10-2008 01:09 PM

so nak kata camne? Orang Gomen memang sengal ya amat

mende camni pon susah nak setel, bukan nak babitkan dana berjuta2 pon, boleh guna budi bicara seorang pegawai kerajaan x perlu nak buat suruhanjaya pon :re:

Bosan dengan mende remeh temeh jadi susah ....... Korang yang keje top brass kementerian ni kalo boleh cuba bantu, bantulah....