MALAYSIA
The Malaysian Prime Minister, Mohd Najib Razak has announced another round of pay increases for the country’s 1.6 million Public Servants.
Datuk Seri Najib, who is also Minister for Finance, announced the extra incentives, for current workers and pensioners, before a rally of some 10,000 applauding PS employees, saying the increases were in appreciation for their service, sacrifice and hard work.
“It means that Civil Servants will receive an additional annual salary increment on top of the annual salary movement for 2018,” Datuk Seri Najib said.
He also announced that the Government had agreed to accelerate promotion for longer-serving officers.
However, a prominent Opposition Member of Parliament, Nurul Izzah Anwar (pictured) said this was insufficient to ease the burden of lower paid PS staff seeking to cope with the rising cost of living, and workers would be better off with a change of Government.
She said half of the PS staff employed in 2016 earned less than MYR3,900 (A$1,300) a month.
Ms Nurul Izzah also said that union data showed that close to 60 per cent of PS employees did not own a home despite being employed for a long time.
She said her Pakatan Harapan coalition was committed to improving the welfare and payscale of PS employees if it was given the mandate in the General Election scheduled for 9 May.
“A Pakatan Government is committed to implementing a structural reform of the Civil Service, free from political party influence,” Ms Nurul Izzah said.
She said capable PS staff should be allowed to take the lead in the country’s administration.
Ms Nurul Izzah also said she believed PS employees desired change.
“As the General Election approaches, I believe public officers will make use of the secret ballot to save the future of Malaysia,” she said.
Kuala Lumpur, 6 April 2018
