He said the government will attend to the issue then.

“We will debate this in the Dewan (Rakyat). The minister has to answer.

“Both government backbenchers and opposition MPs can raise the matter at the lower house as part of check and balance ,” he told reporters after delivering his New Year’s address at the ministry here today.

Yesterday, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh said the abolition of the pension scheme should start with MPs, not civil servants.

The Melaka exco member also said it was not right that MPs continue to receive pensions when the scheme is being abolished for civil servants.

On Wednesday, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the contract appointments are only a temporary measure before the Cabinet approves a new policy for permanent appointments without pensions.

He said this was to lighten the government’s burden in the payment of pensions, which will amount to RM120 billion by 2040 if a new system is not available by then.

Meanwhile, Dzulkefly said anybody is free to voice proposals on the matter.

“Anyone has the right to make recommendations. Don’t take (contract appointments without pensions) as a negative,” he said.

On a separate matter, Dzulkefly said the appointments of medical graduates as housemen at public hospitals is better than before.

“In the past, one would have to wait for up to two years (to receive an offer of housemanship), but now it is only two months,” he said.

Previously, Malaysia Medics International had urged the government to expedite the process of appointing housemen following a report on the shortage in some health facilities.

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