KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry has proposed the establishment of a National Veterans Day to honour the contributions of Armed Forces veterans, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Speaking at the 100th National General Assembly of the Armed Forces Veterans Association on Saturday (Oct 24), the Defence Minister said the National Veterans Council has agreed to support the annual nationwide celebration, which remains subject to Cabinet approval.
"The proposed celebration will provide an opportunity to strengthen public appreciation for military veterans and recognise their sacrifices and service to the country," Khaled said, reiterating the government's commitment to safeguarding veterans' welfare after retirement.
The minister highlighted a strategic shift in the ministry's approach—moving away from reliance on one-off financial aid toward economic empowerment through skills development, retraining, employment matching, and entrepreneurship.
“Assistance will continue to be provided to those in need. At the same time, we want to ensure veterans can become independent, generate income, and build better lives after completing their service,” he said.
To achieve this, the ministry is collaborating with the Human Resources Ministry and leveraging schemes under the Veterans Entrepreneur and Skills Training Corporation (Perhebat) to provide relevant qualifications and job opportunities.
Beyond economic support, Khaled noted that veterans can play a vital role in national security through the country's Comprehensive Defence (Hanruh) concept by fostering defence awareness, patriotism, and community resilience.
He also urged veteran-owned businesses to participate directly in the defence industry, while highlighting immediate welfare benefits like the Harga Istimewa Tentera Sejahtera (HITS) campaign, which offers veterans up to 30% discounts at Pernama outlets nationwide.
Financially, support for former service members continues to grow. Contributions to the Warriors Fund, which supports veterans and their families, have risen steadily from RM1.3 million in 2023/2024 to RM3.35 million in 2025/2026. Collections for the 2026/2027 period have already reached RM4.35 million.
Addressing the roughly 500 delegates in attendance, including representatives from Sabah and Sarawak, Khaled urged the association to use the assembly to propose actionable policies for long-term quality-of-life improvements.
With 182,786 members registered under the Veterans Affairs Department, the association remains one of Malaysia’s oldest and largest veteran organisations.
