The retirement age for civil servants in Malaysia is 55 years                                                                                         
old a practice carried on for almost 100 years since the                                                                                              
British acted as quardians to protect the Malay states from                                                                                           
being annexed.                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
The British civil servant came here at about the age of                                                                                               
25,worked for about 30 years and on reaching 55,drew his two                                                                                          
thirds pension rights before retiring back to his home                                                                                                
country.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
In the United Kingdom,however,the retirement age is 65,so the                                                                                         
Malaysian civil servant had about 10 years to work in any                                                                                             
capacity till he reached the 65th years.This position was a                                                                                           
comfortable one because he drew both his Malaysian pension as                                                                                         
well as his salary while working.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
Today,the retirement age for Malaysians is still 55,with                                                                                              
special amendments for early retirement in view of an                                                                                                 
agreement to take in civil servant into the private sector.On                                                                                         
all counts,this is an added advantage and an incentive for                                                                                            
retiring civil servants to continue working in their own                                                                                              
interests.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
Take the example of these there civil servants.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
Lim Chong Hun was an accountant who worked in the Secretary                                                                                           
General's office.When he retired,he became a financial                                                                                                
consultant.Soon after, he brought together a number of similar                                                                                        
civil servants and set up a consultancy company offering                                                                                              
advice on financial,incamr tex and other accounting                                                                                                   
practices.They are still in business.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Majid Yunus,who retired as chief clerk in the office of the                                                                                           
Surveyor General,became a religious teacher.He taught the                                                                                             
Quran to about 30 students and is still an ustaz.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
Muthu,who retired at 55,had put in 25 years of service and                                                                                            
qualified for full pension rights.As he had been working as an                                                                                        
officer in the Labour Ministry,he set up a labour advisory                                                                                            
service on retirement.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
They are but there examples of what Malaysian civil servants                                                                                          
choose to do after retirement and have,in so doing,reached                                                                                            
satisfying second careers in their old age.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Many others who are retired senior civil servants or private                                                                                          
sector officials can do something similiar by working for                                                                                             
themselves or by volunteering their services to deserving                                                                                             
organisations. Fifty five is an early age relative to life                                                                                            
expectancy.                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Many countries offer theta services of retirees with special                                                                                          
knowledge of the jobs they had been trained for.  Eligible                                                                                            
companies from developing countries obtain the services of                                                                                            
these experts and do not have to pay for their services,                                                                                              
except to be responsible for their accommodation and                                                                                                  
transportation expenses.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
In 1972, I accepted of representative of the Service                                                                                                  
Organisation (Ceso) for four years.  During that time, we                                                                                             
recruited eight officers, four of whom were attached to the                                                                                           
National Productivity as hotel management experts in their                                                                                            
different fields. Today, the nucleus of the catering service                                                                                          
is the group of peaple left behind after training by the                                                                                              
Canadian volunteers and they are continuing to do a good job.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
I would like to suggest to the authorities that they consider                                                                                         
setting up a Malaysian Retired Personnel Service of two types:                                                                                        
To cater to local companies, and to serve overseas.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
The Government or an appropriate agency can recruit men or                                                                                            
women to serve as volunteer advisers, share their knowledge in                                                                                        
the field they had been trained in and pass on the information                                                                                        
to local Malaysian companies and to deserving overseas                                                                                                
organisations.  Flourishing with all its investment prospects,                                                                                        
industrial development potential, other social contracts and                                                                                          
similar activities, Malaysia can now afford to offer this type                                                                                        
of service.                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Speaking as a retiree, I would like to call on all retirees to                                                                                        
offer our services as voluntary advisers to local                                                                                                     
organisations and to deserving organisations in developing                                                                                            
countries.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
Our neighbours in Asean, the Middle East, and the Eastern                                                                                             
European countries would possibly need our help and welcome                                                                                           
such assistance. In some countries this kind of assistance has                                                                                        
already been asked for.                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
There is a sizeable pool of Malaysia retirees from a wide                                                                                             
variety of professions, civil service, business and industry.                                                                                         
Many Malaysians had been trained in professional skills which                                                                                         
can be useful to our neighbours.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
They can offer a combination of skills and experience to match                                                                                        
the needs of the organisation requiring their services. These                                                                                         
volunteers can share their solid practical information without                                                                                        
receiving any salary but essential expenses and pocket money.                                                                                         
This expense must be sufficient to meet the living needs of                                                                                           
the volunteers.                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
In rendering their services, Malaysians will not only learn                                                                                           
about other countries and their peoples, but also contribute                                                                                          
to international peace and understanding.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Depending on their assignments, the volunteers usually take on                                                                                        
jobs of up to six months. Often the spouse will go along and,                                                                                         
in many cases, the assignment provides a wonderful opportunity                                                                                        
to visit an other country Without the loneliness of                                                                                                   
separation.  An assignment completed satisfactorily is                                                                                                
enriching and measures our continuing worth.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
Serving overseas on voluntary assignment not a new idea.  The                                                                                         
major developed countries are already providing such                                                                                                  
opportunities for their citizens.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
For instance, the Canadian experience with Ceso is an                                                                                                 
indication of the richness of the opportunity.  Canada's                                                                                              
component of development assistance has proved useful and                                                                                             
successful and more than 4,000 projects in over 40 countries                                                                                          
have been carried out successfully.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
In Malaysia alone, over 100 such projects have been completed,                                                                                        
including department store management, feasibility study for a                                                                                        
sugar factory, training programmes for electric supply                                                                                                
projects, railways, hotels and consultant firms. Others are                                                                                           
landscaping for parks and recreation areas, product testing                                                                                           
for research organisations, veterinary medicine and scores of                                                                                         
other businesses.                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
For the proposal of a Malaysian Retired Personnel Service to                                                                                          
materialise, the Government, through a specialised agency,                                                                                            
could fund the infrastructure which will match the talents of                                                                                         
retirees with the needs of organisations.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
We can also learn from the experiences of Ceso and other                                                                                              
similar organisations.