Higher allowances for Territorial Army members
BAGAN DATUK: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has announced an increase in allowances for the Territorial Army members.
While the rank and file members get an increase of RM2 per hour from the current RM6, allowances for officers have been increased from RM7.80 to RM9.80 per hour.
He said the raise in the allowances was to appreciate the deeds and loyalty of these army personnel throughout the country as the second line of defence in national security.
“I announce on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister that the allowances have been officially increased.
“The allowance is paid from the day the Prime Minister announced the increase in the allowance for Rela (People's Volunteer Force) (on March 10), meaning that any personnel on duty earlier should be paid in full according to the allowance given,” he said.
He disclosed this when speaking at the launch of the Territorial Army Wave for the Central Zone (Gelombang Askar Wataniah Zon Tengah) at Sekolah Menengah Sains Bagan Datuk, here yesterday which was also attended by Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Baharum, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Deputy Army Chief Datuk Seri Panglima Ahmad Hasbullah Mohd Nawawi.
With regard to the Hutan Melintang military camp, Dr Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Bagan Datuk MP, described that those claiming the construction of the camp was aimed at assisting the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to take over Hutan Melintang and increase the votes for the Bagan Datuk Parliamentary constituency were naive.
"They are in fact naive, they don't know it (the construction) was a strategy of the Defence Ministry because the nearest camp is in Sungai Besi and Subang while in the north, it is the Royal Malaysian Navy Base in Lumut, while there is nothing in the centre.
“In terms of geostrategy, Bagan Datuk must have a military camp. It is to translate the defence strategy of the ATM (Malaysian Armed Forces),” he said adding that the camp was 50% ready.