SERDANG: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi strongly believes that government retirees are not the people who bite the hand (organisation) that feeds them.
He said although they might have different opinion about certain issues, the public service retirees would never let themselves to become a liability to the country.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said while the government appreciates the possible differences in the opinions, it was vital that the differences be addressed in the most polite and courteous manners as taught by Islam.
“With the number of retirees totalling 778,894 now, we know some of them might have mixed feelings about something, but I believe that they will never bite the hand (organisation) that had fed and will continue to feed them,” he said at the 1Pesara Malaysia Assembly here today.
He also stressed that the government would always appreciate the retirees as national assets.
As such, the deputy prime minister said that the government had allocated no less than RM20 billion a year for the retirees and the amount would increase from time to time as approximately three per cent of civil servants would enter retirement each year.
“Steadfastness and being appreciative of one’s good deeds are in line with the teaching of Islam because being thankful to those who help us is a sign that that we are grateful to Allah,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid also called on the retirees to stay active and continue contributing towards national wellbeing, while keeping away from those who continue to fight and express their dissatisfaction for the government.
”We have to stay active as national assets who will always love, help and be thankful to the ruling government,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid also asked the Public Service Director-General to review the methods and pension calculation system for civil servants so that they would not be among the recipients of the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) payout upon retirement.
“We realise that the government’s expenses are huge, but if the national income is increased, we are confident that the prime minisrer (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) is willing to give more benefit to the retirees and I will personally speak to him about that,” he said.
At the assembly, the deputy prime minister also announced that the government would establish “My Beautiful Life For Seniors (BLFS)”, which is a centre that will enable senior citizens to live a productive and beneficial life after retirement.
Without giving out the details of the new initiative, Ahmad Zahid said the BLFS would be launched by Najib in October in conjunction with the Senior Citizens Day celebration. – Bernama