Some pensioners in need of help

I REFER to the letter “Thank you but please revise the formula” ( The Star, July 26) which stated that “All public service pensioners should say ribuan terima kasih to the government for regularly providing them with valuable financial resources in their old age. No pensioner should have any more complaints as they have been nicely taken care of all these years.”

The writer seems to have forgotten that the above situation applies only to those who served for 25 years or more. In fact, their pensions have been revised not once but twice and the minimum monthly amount is now RM950.

Forgotten and neglected are those government pensioners with less than 25 years of service. Some of them are getting as low as RM300 per month whereas the official poverty rate in Malaysia is RM720.

Many of these pensioners could be suffering in silence, not knowing whom to turn to. I sincerely hope the present leadership would take note of their predicament and make some provisions to assist them.

May I suggest that when tabling the 2019 Budget, the government could be magnanimous enough to provide a minimum monthly pension of RM750, which would be slightly above the poverty rate, for this unfortunate group of former civil servants?

They too have contributed their service to the government and public at large, and I am sure they will be very grateful to the new leadership for heeding their plea for help.

GOVERNMENT PENSIONER Kamunting