Nearly 80 per cent of the 200,000 Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) veterans venture into entrepreneurship as a career option after retirement, said Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari.
He said that among the several sectors they are involved in are agriculture, tourism, and services.
“Our responsibility now is to make sure that they can succeed. So, we provide them with training and assistance to ensure that their second careers can give them a better life,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after visiting MAF retiree Nik Mohd Fahzol Nik Mohd Mustapha’s workshop in Kampung Bechah Kura, Melor, in conjunction with the Kelantan state-level Peduli Veteran programme here today.
At the event, Adly handed over a set of house keys to an MAF veteran and a contribution of RM10,000 to another veteran to help him upgrade his roti canai stall in Pasir Puteh.
Adly said the programme was held to ensure that the welfare of MAF veterans, covering health and education, continued to be looked after.
“Apart from that, we will continue to hold dialogues with veterans’ associations nationwide to identify the problems faced by them and find solutions to any related issues for their welfare,” he said.
In the meantime, Adly said that more than 100,000 former military personnel were not registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs (JHEV).
He said that so far, 200,000 former military personnel, 79,000 of whom were pensioners, had registered with JHEV.
“We respect the decision of some former personnel who want privacy and want to be free from the old system, but at the same time veterans in need are encouraged to register (with JHEV) for us to extend assistance and support,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nik Mohd Fahizol, who runs a workshop specialising in four-wheel drive repairs and maintenance after retiring five years ago, said he was able to earn RM80,000 a month.
According to him, the experience and knowledge he acquired while serving in the Royal Mechanical and Electrical Engineer Corps had given him an advantage in managing the business in which he was currently involved.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency