Of tonic for pensioners-see what it has come to ?

Another new year has come -WELCOME 2009 and whether we are old or young, black or white, male or female; we have like the old chinese saying grown older and wiser by another one year.


The holiday season for all is over and most are moving back into the momentum of another year-children going to school and working people rushing back to work and blaa..blaa...blaa.But what do retired people do all day? What do they do to make their days interesting?


And...Well, this is a classical example of one that I have for you all.

`...the other day my wife and I went into town and went into a shop. We were only in there for about 5 minutes. When we came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket.

We went up to him and said, 'Come on man, how about giving a senior citizen a break?'

And again we said , 'Come on man, how about giving a senior citizen a break?'

He ignored us and continued writing the ticket. I called him a Nazi turd. He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tyres

So my wife called him a shit-head. He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more we abused him, the more tickets he wrote.

Personally, we didn't care. We came into town by bus. We try to have a little fun each day now that we're retired. It's important at our age...`

See what it has come to for them as senior citizens or pensioners. They stay fit and active to enjoy life.

In Malaysia last year the government had spent RM101 million on pensioners`medical care to keep them fit and healthy. So instead of spending their time loafing around and playing pranks or becoming a nuisance,perhaps some of them can be National Service trainers ,volunteer workers or be reemployed back into the work force to stay productive.

Like in the words of the Post-Service Division(formerly the Pensions Division) director, the pensioners need to give back something to society for the good life that most enjoy. Though pensions are their deferred salaries, pensioners should not be a burden beyond the two percent of the gross domestic product that we spend on them.

For your information my dear listerners, three pension and remunerations amendment bills were passed by parliament last month. Among the main benefits on the cards are:-

1.Pensions calculations now factor in a maximum 30 years service,up 5 years from 25 years`service

This means pensioners who have served 30years in the civil service can expect a 20% increase on what they are getting now.

2.No more reductions on a derivative pension after 12 1/2 years of retirement.Widows to get full pension as compared to 70% previously.About 38,000 widows stand to gain from this amendment.

3.Removal of residency requirement.Pensioners living overseas will no longer have to return to Malaysia on regular basis to be eligible for pension.

This is because the pension is now recognised as a deferred payment which is owed to pensioners,whether or not he is residing in Malaysia.This amendment will free elderly,ill or destitute pensioners to live with relatives overseas.

The reason that pensions were not given to pensioners who resided oversea was to check the outflow of money.But with globalisation, this was not a concern anymore as money also flowed into Malaysia,brought in by foreign pensioners who came here on the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

There are 1,475 pensioners living in 24 countries. The estimated outflow for this is RM 31 million as compared to RM7.1 billion in total retirement benefits given out.

4. Pensioners who have served a minimum of 25 years` service will receive a minimum pension of RM 720.

5. Parents of deceased single civil servant will receive a lump sum ex gratia.In the past the government does not pay pension to his parent.

6.From February 2009,pensions of single and widowed pensioners or widow pensioners will be paid directly into their bank accounts.

7. A central billing system is being worked out for private health providers to make claims to the government for medical expenses incurred by pensioners.

8. Plans are afoot to set up an employment clearing house to help match skilled and experienced pensioners with suitable employers.

With this in store, pensioners surely can look forward to a great year ahead.The pension has always been considered as just a reward for service to the government. Now by these benefits, we hope these pensioners can be more than just `pensioners` who would not survive with the mindset of entitlement.

Yeah!! you must remember what we are entitled to is only our original pension.Everything else is by the fact we have a caring government who feels that it wants to give us something extra.