As expected Mindef has poo-pooed Mukthiar's claim for pension via this fax to Malay Mail and is carried in it's totality in the Malay Mail today (of course the one in the Mail had the English corrected). Both Mukthiar's and Lt Col Idris's views are also published. Lt Col Idris has been quoted on the front page as saying it "THIS IS PLAIN RUBBISH'.

The first thing Mindef needs to realise is, can they not find someone, who can write a decent sentence in English without grammartical errors? Look at the fax. First they disappoint the man, then they insult him with shoddy English! Okay, fine let us talk about rules. Why is that, certain officers without Staff College, had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonels before? Whilst at the "regulations" how about Officers attending, "All Arms Tactics Course", without passing their Captain to Major promotion exams, since there is mention of perquisites. Do not let us start naming them. Okay, how about promotions, rules are not followed, there is veritable 'carnage of careers' of qualified officers who have been passed over for promotions. It is actually who you know and not what you know. You want to talk about merits and rules?

Young Mukhtiar seated 2nd from the left whilst at the Wilkinson Estate.

Yes there are regulations but Captain Mukhtiar is a very special case. Mindef failed to take into consideration the 12 years he spent in the Police Force. With the combined years served in the Police Force and the Army, it will be a whooping 28 years! So, is that not which is quoted, " currently for a regular commissioned officers to be awarded service pension, one needs to clock in twenty years of reckonable service." Take away the "regular", you have more than twenty years. Look at Mukhtiar's achievements , others pale in comparison to him. I also believe that the Public Relations Branch of Mindef is just that. I wonder if they had someone high up in the hierarchy to have a look at this case, or is it just a public relations exercise?

Or, were they too lazy to check this very unjustifiable predicament of Captain Mukhtiar with someone in authority. I know that a lowly Colonel heads the Public Relations Branch of Mindef, more attuned with public relation exercises. Okay, okay name me one 'Regular Commissioned' Officer who can match deed for deed with what Captain Mukhtiar has done, to be fair, you do not have to compare his sufferings and the injustice inflicted on him - edit

Have some compassion. These are the words Lt-Col (Rtd) Mohd Idris Hassan wishes to throw at the Ministry of Defence following its reply to our frontpage story on the plight of Capt (Rtd) Mukhtiar Singh, who has been denied pension due to his non-attendance on two compulsory courses.

Idris, speaking up for his former instructor, Mukhtiar, said: “This is plain rubbish. Why is the ministry not willing to treat this as a special case? There have been many instances when the Ministry has used its discretion to help the members of the armed forces. There were Lance Corporals who died while in service but were posthumously promoted to Sergeant level in order for the deceased's widow and children to receive financial aid in the form of a pension. Not only that, they officers were also awarded Panglima Gagah Berani awards which enables the recipient to receive a monthly allowance of RM200.”

“If the Ministry was able to consider these cases, why not Mukhtiar's?” He also expressed dissatisfaction at how the ministry compared Mukhtiar to other retired members of the armed forces.“How many have actually fought the communists? How many can own up to raising their weapon to kill an enemy in broad daylight while facing the risks of leaving behind your loved ones every single day? To compare someone who has done so much with the officers who only served the army during peaceful times is nothing short of an insult,” he said at his home in Taman Tun Dr Ismail yesterday.

Idris, who has been championing Mukhtiar's cause over the years, said he is passionate about the rights of former servicemen who have been neglected after retirement. It's a moral issue as well, says lawyer. Thank you very much, The Malay Mail for highlighting this issue.