KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein today gave assurance that the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) Retirement Fund will be fully guaranteed by the government.
He said the proposal to amend the Armed Forces Fund Act has been tabled to the Cabinet last week and had received approval in principle and would be tabled to Parliament later this year.
“I will give full attention to the proposed amendment until it is passed and enforced. This is the assurance I’m giving.
“InsyaAllah, once enforced, it will not only secure the retirement fund of the Malaysian Armed Forces personnel, but also enable LTAT to continue driving their transformation agenda,” he said in his New Year 2022’s message for the Defence Ministry at Wisma Perwira ATM here today.
Hishammuddin also expressed hope that the new LTAT leadership would continue the efforts so that all its investments meet the needs and can provide stable, competitive and sustainable returns like other retirement institutions.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said his ministry would implement the Mindef Housing Blueprint 3.0 which will be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob soon.
He said under the blueprint, 12,000 units of Malaysian Armed Forces Family Home (RKMAT) would be built during the period of the 12th and 13th Malaysia Plans.
This year alone, he said seven RKMAT projects were expected to be completed, namely the RKMAT Tok Jalai in Kedah, RKMAT Kem Oran in Perlis, RKMAT Kem Tumbi in Kelantan, RKMAT Segamat in Johor, RKMAT Kem Bera in Pahang as well as RKMAT Pakit and RKMAT Miri in Sarawak.
“I would also like to announce that more houses would be built under the Satu Anggota Satu Rumah (One Personnel One Home) (SASaR) programme,” he said.
The minister said three locations had been identified for the SASaR programme, namely at the Sungai Besi Transmitter Camp, Wardieburn Camp and the Genting Klang Camp, and that the SASaR project at the Sungai Besi Transmitter Camp had begun in June last year and was expected to complete in 2025.
As for Armed Forced veterans, Hishammuddin said a sum of RM2.59 million had been allocated to repair and rebuild 100 houses of the veterans under the Armed Forces Veteran Housing Initiative Programme, which was formerly known as 1Malaysia Veteran Home Repair Programme.
“At the same time, 275 Jiwa Murni projects are expected to be carried out this year in the peninsula, which is hoped to benefit more military veterans,” he said.
Also present at the event today were Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Affendi Buang and Mindef secretary-general Datuk Seri Muez Abd Aziz. — Bernama
