WE are a group of pensioners who since 2004 have submitted three memorandums, signed by more than 500 pensioners, to the government asking it to help resolve our plight.

We are living on fixed pensions that were calculated 20 to 25 years ago (since retirement is based on a maximum of 25 years of service, although we retired after serving the government for 30 years or more).

Based on the above calculation, more than 70 per cent of us receive less than RM500 a month, which is below the poverty line.

And some of us receive between RM200 and RM300 a month before deduction for housing loans.

In the Pension Ordinance 1951, there was no service limit for the calculation of pensions. The pension and gratuity were calculated based on full service.

In 1995, a gratuity-and-pension calculation scheme without limiting the full period of service was approved by the government and subsequently RM943 million was allocated and approved for pension adjustments.

Although, the gratuity formula was implemented with effect from Jan 1, 1995, the revised pension formula was withheld due to the economic downturn.

Today, more than 13 years later, the revised pension formula has not been implemented, although the economy has improved.

The allocated amount of RM943 million was distributed to serving civil servants for adjustment of their salaries at the expense of pensioners.

On Sept 28, we submitted another appeal letter to the prime minister through the Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, to grant us a dialogue to resolve our problem.

We also sent another letter on Jan 9 to Mohd Sidek on the above matter.

We are not asking for anything new. We are asking for what was approved by the government years ago.

We have been waiting for the past 13 years because we have faith in the government.

MOHD JAMIL ISMAIL, S. MYLVAGANAM and S. SANTHANASAMY, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – January 22, 2008