What Clients Say About Working With Benteng Emas

Challenge

A retired civil servant in Penang had been receiving her pension for over two years. She noticed that the monthly amount was consistently lower than what she had worked out based on her final salary and years of service. The pension division told her the figure was correct but could not explain the basis for the calculation in terms she could verify.

Our Approach

The entitlement check was engaged for RM 300. We reviewed her service records, the applicable pension scheme rules, and the department's calculation methodology. The advisory note identified two years of pensionable service that had been incorrectly excluded from the calculation — a period of secondment that the scheme rules explicitly included for pension purposes.

Outcome

Armed with the advisory note, the client made a formal representation to the pension division. The discrepancy was acknowledged and her monthly pension was adjusted upward. Arrears for the underpaid period were also recovered. The matter was resolved without any formal legal proceedings. Total time from engagement to resolution: approximately eleven weeks.

Challenge

A former manager in Butterworth was retrenched and subsequently discovered that his employer had been contributing to his EPF account based on a salary figure that excluded certain allowances that he believed were pensionable under the EPF Act. The shortfall, if confirmed, was material over a fifteen-year employment period.

Our Approach

The dispute assessment was engaged for RM 820. The written opinion analysed whether the disputed allowances fell within the definition of wages under the EPF Act 1991, reviewed similar determinations, and assessed the prospects of a successful claim before the EPF or in the civil courts. The opinion noted that the legal position on certain allowance categories was unsettled and explained what that meant practically for his decision.

Outcome

After reviewing the opinion with his family, the client chose to pursue the matter via the EPF's internal dispute mechanism before considering formal proceedings. The mechanism upheld a portion of the claim. The client decided not to pursue the unsettled portion further, based on the realistic prospects explained in the opinion. He described the outcome as satisfactory given the clarity of the process.

Challenge

A retired supervisor from George Town had been a member of an employer-administered occupational pension scheme. Following his retirement, the employer reduced his pension by a percentage citing a clause in the scheme rules that the client believed had been applied incorrectly. The scheme's internal appeal process had been exhausted without resolution, and the reduction remained in place.

Our Approach

Full representation was engaged for RM 3,580. A careful reading of the scheme deed and the applicable clause showed that the employer's interpretation had exceeded the scope of the provision. A letter of demand was sent and rejected, following which a claim was filed in the civil court. Hearing attendance and evidence management were handled throughout. Written updates were provided after each procedural step.

Outcome

The matter settled after the exchange of pleadings but before a full hearing, with the employer agreeing to restore the pension to the original figure and pay a portion of the arrears. The client was kept informed at each milestone and confirmed the settlement at his own pace. Total duration from engagement to settlement: approximately seven months.