10/03/2026

TUESDAY | MAR 10, 2026

3 Govt wins appeal over RM1.7b pension adjustment order

Rahmah Cash Aid phase 2 to be distributed today Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PUTRAJAYA: The government has successfully overturned a High Court decision ordering it to pay RM1.7 billion in pension arrears to 531,976 retirees yesterday. A three-member Court of Appeal bench comprising Justices Datuk Lim Chong Fong, Datuk Azhahari Kamal Ramli and Datuk Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid made the ruling in a judicial review filed by Aminah Ahmad, a retired Foreign Ministry officer. Reading the unanimous decision Azhahari said the matter of pension adjustments had already been settled by a previous Court of Appeal decision in 2022 linked to Aminah’s first legal action in 2017. “Hence, issue estoppel would prevent her from relitigating the same issue at the judicial review’s application. “Even if res judicata does not apply, the court should also consider whether the doctrine of abuse of process is applicable to the facts of the case.” Azhahari added that the High Court had erred by considering only the doctrine of res judicata , without PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has lost a towering figure in Islamic thought. Royal Professor Tan Sri Dr Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas (pic) passed away on March 8 at 6.47pm, aged 94, leaving behind a legacy that transformed scholarship and intellectual life in the country. The Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah conveyed their condolences and prayed that Syed Naquib’s soul be placed among the faithful. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim described him as “one of the greatest minds of our age”. “He was a philosopher who asked not just what we know but what knowledge is for. Through seminal works such as Islam and Secularism and Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam he challenged secularisation and laid the foundations of an Islamic worldview.” Syed Naquib was laid to rest at the Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery at 12.30pm yesterday. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Ű BY HARITH KAMAL newsdesk@thesundaily.com

amounted to an abuse of process, effectively trying to relitigate the same issue. “This appeal is hereby allowed. We set aside the decision of the learned High Court judge,” he said. No costs were ordered as the case involves matters of wide public interest. On Jan 16, 2025 High Court judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh had allowed Aminah’s judicial review and ordered payment within three months. On March 4, 2025 he stayed the payment pending the Court of Appeal’s decision. Under the old pension scheme, retirees’ pensions are adjusted based on the current salary of serving civil servants in the same grade. The 2013 amendment introduced a flat 2% annual increment. Aminah’s lawyer Datuk Dr Baljit Singh Sidhu said they plan to appeal to the Federal Court. The government and PSD were represented by senior federal counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly @Arwi and federal counsel Mohammad Sallehuddin Md Ali.

o Three-member Court of Appeal bench made ruling in judicial review filed by retired Foreign Ministry officer Aminah Ahmad

PUTRAJAYA: The government has accelerated the payment of Rahmah Cash Aid (Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah-STR) phase 2 to today, disbursing RM1.3 billion to more than five million households nationwide, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Originally scheduled for April, the early payout aims to help households manage expenses ahead of Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri . “STR Phase 2 was supposed to be paid in April but we brought it forward because we want to welcome the month of Ramadan and Aidilfitri. “The first stage, starting March 10, will involve RM1.3 billion for five million STR recipients so that it can be enjoyed ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri .” He made the announcement during his address at the monthly assembly of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry yesterday. The accelerated payment is part of the government’s wider effort to ease cost-of-living pressures during the festive season when households typically face higher spending on food, travel and celebrations. STR is a targeted cash assistance programme aimed at supporting lower and middle-income households, distributed in several phases throughout the year. Phase 1 was credited in January, while Phase 2 starts today following the decision to expedite disbursement. Phases 3 and 4 are expected later in the year, usually mid-year and year end, in line with the government’s scheduled payouts. Meanwhile, in the Dewan Negara yesterday Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong said the government had allocated RM2.4 billion for STR payments in the first quarter of 2026. He added that RM1.1 billion had already been distributed in Phase 1 to eligible recipients as part of efforts to ease the rising cost of living. He was replying to a question by Senator Roderick Wong Siew Lead who asked about the latest status of STR recipients and why some applicants were ineligible. Liew explained that common reasons for rejecting applications include income above the eligibility threshold, individuals with active Companies Commission of Malaysia records and cases requiring verification of marital status as well as applications of deceased persons. Liew said more than eight million Malaysians currently benefit from STR and Rahmah Basic Aid payments, involving a total allocation of RM15 billion this year. The number of recipients is expected to rise to nearly nine million by year-end as new applications, appeals and updates are processed.

2017 as she failed to prove that the switch to a flat 2% annual increment was disadvantageous. “In our view, the issue of loss that was raised in the 2017 OS (originating summons) was meant to support her prayer for the payment of the arrears of her pension.” The court also noted that any reference to the 2016 Public Services Department (PSD) Circular should have been part of the 2017 case. “It ought to have been brought forward as part of the subject in the 2017 OS but they have not done so, probably due to inadvertence or accident. In the circumstances, under the law, the judicial review application is prohibited by res judicata as issue estoppel.” The appellate court concluded that Aminah’s judicial review

applying the doctrine of abuse of process. “In our view, the High Court judge fell into error when he merely considered the applicability of the doctrine of res judicata without correctly considering the doctrine of abuse of process and applying it to the facts of the case.” Aminah had filed the judicial review on Jan 12, 2024 on behalf of herself and 56 retired public servants, seeking payment of arrears based on the pre-2013 pension formula, Bernama reported. Azhahari noted that her entitlement to the arrears had already been addressed in the 2017 case. He explained that Aminah’s claim of losses due to the 2013 Pensions Adjustment Act (Amendment) had been rejected in

Royal Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib dies at 94

Members of the royalty, Anwar, prominent figures and hundreds of mourners performing funeral prayers and paying last respects to the late Syed Naquib at Masjid al-Taqwa, Taman Tun Dr Ismail yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

cadet officer in the Malay Army before joining academia, holding leadership roles at Universiti Malaya and UKM. In October 2024, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia conferred on him the title of Royal Professor, Malaysia’s highest academic honour. Syed Naquib’s life produced dozens of influential works in philosophy, theology, history, literature and Islamic civilisation – leaving a legacy that will continue to shape Malaysian thought for generations.

Constitutional law expert Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Wan Ahmad Fauzi highlighted Syed Naquib’s lasting impact. “He challenged colonial frameworks shaping philosophical and social narratives and as the founder of Istac paved the way for generations to rethink Malay and Islamic civilisations. “His work reshaped discourse on law, governance and civilisation, urging Malaysians to critically examine inherited knowledge.” Born on Sept 5, 1931, in Bogor, Indonesia, Syed Naquib began as a

Dr Zulkifli Hasan described him on Facebook as a “priceless gem of knowledge” for Muslims. “ Almarhum was known as a mujaddid , thinker and scholar who rekindled the torch of knowledge and adab in the Islamic world. “His thoughts and struggles revived intellectual discourse and helped establish institutions such as the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation as well as International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (Istac).”