A one-off RM500 financial aid will be provided for non-pensionable veterans of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) through the Prihatin Economic Stimulus Package, said Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz. It is expected to benefit about 180,000 ex-servicemen.

“One of the issues raised was the RM500 special allowance for about 1.4 million civil servants, but army veterans who are non-pensioners were sidelined. The government has decided to extend this allowance to about 180,000 army veterans in the spirit of the stimulus package so that no one is left behind,” said Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul.

The one-off assistance, which involves an allocation of RM89.5 million, will not include the non-pensioners’ next-of-kin.

Disbursement of the aid is to be managed by the ATM Veterans Affairs Department (JHEV) starting from 23 April 2020, who will deposit the payment into the bank accounts of eligible veterans. This means that veterans will need to be registered with JHEV in order to receive the aid. They have until 31 October 2020 to do so.

The aid for ATM veterans was previously announced by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who urged all eligible but unregistered servicemen to sign up with JHEV before the deadline. He also noted that only 65,000 non-pensionable veterans have done so thus far.

Datuk Seri Ismail had also expressed gratitude on behalf of the Defence Ministry for the government’s concern in extending the special assistance to non-pensionable ATM veterans. This is especially so in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Prihatin Economic Stimulus Package, which was revealed by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the end of March 2020, had included a one-off RM500 payment to public servants of Gred 56 and below (including those under contract). It was extended to eligible retired government servants as well.

ATM veterans who wish to register with JHEV may do so at its website.

(Source: The Star, Bernama)

• TAGS:
• Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM)
• ATM Veterans Affairs Department
• Civil Servants
• Covid-19
• Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob
• JHEV
• Malaysian Armed Forces
• Movement Control Order
• PRIHATIN Economic Stimulus Package
• Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
• Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz