Pension payments not affected by re-structuring of 2015 Budget – JPA
MELAKA: The government’s austerity measures in the 2015 Budget does not affect pension payments to retirees of federal and state departments and agencies as well as from statutory bodies throughout the country.
Director of the Public Service Department (JPA) Post-Service Division, Datuk Yeow Chin Kiong, said this was because the pension and its payments came under the Federal Constitution and its allocation was not subject to the annual budget.
“The pension payments are not affected at all. It comes under the Federal Constitution and the government has no intention of disturbing it,” he told reporters after attending a programme jointly organised by the Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) with the JPA at Ujong Pasir here yesterday.
He added that the increase in pension rates by two per cent was also not affected by the restructuring of the budget.
He said to date, the number of pensioners in the country was about 623,000, with pension payments amounting to RM11 billion a year. In a separate development, Yeow said the department was constantly looking for ways to help retirees who needed assistance as part of its corporate social responsibility and also to bring the department closer to the public.
“Civil servants should also help the needy as much as they can and indirectly improve the value of our service,” he said.
Earlier, Yeow visited MBMB retiree Mahmood Tamby Ahmad, 87, who was bedridden, and presented a contribution of essential items including food, bed and wheelchair.
AlsopresentwasMBMBMayor, Datuk Zainal Hussin.
Meanwhile, Mahmood’s daughter, Rohana, 45, said she was grateful that her father was still getting his pension payments to pay for his own needs.
“There are nine of us siblings in the family, and each one earns a small salary, so thankfully my father gets his pension which lightens the burden,” he said. – Bernama