Jumaat, November 27, 2009

MILITARY PERSONNEL WILL GET CRITICAL ALLOWANCE


The Defence Ministry is to seek a monthly critical allowance of RM200 for every military personnel once the country's economy has fully recovered in the near future, Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said here Friday.

"The defence minister has instructed me to initiate negotiations with the Public Service Department on the matter soon," he told reporters at the Aidiladha celebration with personnel of the 749 tactical operations command in Banding.

A similar allowance had been proposed for members of the police force in the 2010 Budget, he said.

In his budget speech, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the special incentive allowance for police personnel would be doubled to RM200 monthly effective 1 January this year.

Dr Abdul Latiff also said that the ministry proposed to provide army personnel with more sophisticated and up-to-date individual paraphernalia to enable them discharge their duties more efficiently.

The government would obtain feedback from field commanders and other officers as well as other ranks on the proposal, he added.

"Despite the absence of the communist terrorist threat, we are still faced with the problem of illegal immigrants and cases of smuggling of drugs and essential goods," he said, adding that sophisticated equipment was necessary to maintain border surveillance in a more organised manner.

JAMIL KHIR BERKHUTBAH DI ARAFAH


Jemaah haji Malaysia diminta bermuhasabah diri dengan menghayati setiap amalan haji yang mereka kerjakan dalam aspek sejarahnya dari sudut ketakwaan kepada Allah.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom berkata setiap amalan dalam haji merupakan manifestasi ketaatan dan ketakwaan Nabi Ibrahim, isterinya Siti Hajar dan anaknya Nabi Ismail kepada suruhan tuhan dalam menguji keimanan pada diri mereka kepada tuhan.

"Justeru dalam mencari keampunan Allah di bumi Arafah jemaah haji Malaysia seharusnya mencontohi peribadi ketiga-tiga mereka yang sanggup menjalani ujian berat semata-mata untuk mencari keredaan dariNya," katanya dalam khutbah Arafah yang disampaikannya tanpa merujuk kepada teks.

Khutbah Arafah disampaikan secara berasingan di setiap kawasan khemah jemaah haji sebelum waktu solat Zohor dan Jamil Khir menyampaikan khutbahnya di hadapan kira-kira 600 orang anggota petugas Tabung Haji yang mengerjakan haji bagi musim ini.

Jemaah haji akan berada di Arafah sehingga selepas waktu Maghrib dan masa yang ada digunakan untuk membaca Al-Quran serta berdoa, sebelum mereka beredar ke Mudzalifah untuk singgah sebentar bagi mengutip anak batu yang akan digunakan untuk melontar tiga jamrah di Mina selepas itu.

Pihak berkuasa Arab Saudi mengadakan kawalan ketat sepanjang masa ketika 2.5 juta jemaah haji seluruh dunia berhimpun di Arafah dengan helikopter berlegar-legar setiap masa di ruang udara bagi memantau keadaan.