Bonuses for Malaysian Public Servants which were announced in the country’s Budget has led to speculation that an early General Election is to be called.
Commentators said the 1.3 million Public Servants were an important vote bank which had decided the outcomes of elections in the past.
Under the Budget, Government workers, mostly from the majority Malay community, are to receive a bonus of RM700 ($A229) each and be entitled to an additional five days’ leave.
They are also to be eligible for low-interest loans to buy computers and smartphones.
Economic Professor at Sunway University, Yeah Kim Leng said the hand-outs were not surprising given that a General Election was likely to take place next year.
“Pocketbook voters in the large Civil Service voting bloc will be predominantly inclined towards returning the favour shown by the Government,” Dr Yeah said.
Socio-political analyst, Awang Azman Pawi from Universiti Malaya, disagreed saying it was inaccurate to describe it as an election Budget.
“The Government knows the importance of Civil Servants, they need to be taken care of as they’re the backbone of an administration — they are the driving force, regardless of ideology and political party,” Dr Awang said.
“No matter who the Government is, they have to be friendly to the Civil Servants,” he said.
However, the Budget has not satisfied the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS), with President, Adnan Mat saying the Government should have reviewed the Malaysian Remuneration System as it had not been changed for 19 years.
“The cost of living has continued to escalate while the minimum wage for Civil Servants has not been changed to adapt to the current situation,” Mr Adnan said.
“We hope the Government will introduce a better system that is both comfortable and fair,” he said.
Kuala Lumpur, 8 November, 2021
