Ismail Sabri: 20,000 veterans have not registered with ATM JHEV

KUANTAN: About 20,000 Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) veterans have yet to register with the ATM Veterans Affairs Department (JHEV), said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The failure of these veterans to register with JHEV makes it difficult for ATM to extend assistance allocated to them, according to Ismail Sabri.

"Therefore, I have asked the veterans' association in each district to find out about this group (veterans) as we want to know if they are still around or not. Every time help is given, it is a problem because they (veterans) are not registered and we cannot extend help to them.

"I hope they register immediately as among the factors for not registering may be because they are in the rural areas and so on...we do not have their information," he said at a press conference after awarding the Malaysian Service Medal to 295 Pahang ATM veterans.

Apart from that, Ismail Sabri said the Defence Ministry had also allocated a quota of 30 per cent for children, including the grandchildren of ATM veterans, to study at the Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) ATM-Bera, near here, with applications open now.

In another development, he said the decision regarding the ruling for interstate travel during Hari Raya Aidilfitri had yet to be decided as all decisions, will be based on the advice of the Health Ministry (MOH).

"We will discuss again because cases in some states under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) have not changed much, among them in Selangor, Sarawak and Penang. If the MOH says the (COVID-19) cases are stable and interstate is allowed, then permission will be given.

"Similarly, we are still in discussion on the proposal that recipients of both doses of the vaccine should be allowed interstate travel," he added.

Asked about PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's statement, which was reported by the media, in which he hinted about leaving MN (Muafakat Nasional), Ismail Sabri, who is also UMNO vice-president, said all issues related to PAS and UMNO would be discussed in MN meeting.

"We will discuss various issues through a meeting held every two weeks. Then we can make a statement...sometimes we don't even know...maybe he said something else but what was reported was different from what had been said," he added.

The media had reported that Abdul Hadi hinted he would leave MN because he claimed that it had deviated from the basic goal and asked everyone to join the Perikatan Nasional.

Earlier, Ismail Sabri in his speech said so far a total of 28,971 veterans have received the Malaysian Service Medal while veterans who are eligible and have not yet been awarded will be scheduled to receive it in the future.

-- BERNAMA