THE FEDERAL government has been told to put in force measures to increase the salaries of public servants immediately without having to wait for the full implementation of the new Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA).
In making the call, the Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) said that the government workers’ current wage levels are considered inadequate to meet soaring expenses amid the ever-rising cost of living.
Its president Datuk Adnan Mat said that although the government, through the Public Service Department (PSD), has announced that the new SSPA system may be ready by the end of this year, it is imperative to do something before then.
“As far as Cuepacs is concerned, we hope that the salaries of civil servants are increased earlier,” he said.
Cuepacs is proposing an increase of about RM300 monthly, which could be readjusted once the new SSPA is ready to be implemented.
“Maybe not be in the form of salary, but a special allowance could be given for the time being,” he said, adding that the government had so far taken all of Cuepacs’ proposals seriously.
Adnan was speaking to the media during a gathering of Kedah state civil servants at the Sg Petani Municipal Council complex in Sg Petani today.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had received the Interim Report 1 on the Review of the SSPA from Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and PSD director-general Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.
When tabling Budget 2024 in Parliament on October 13 last year, Anwar had announced that the full implementation of the SSPA would begin in 2025.
Accordingly, he said, a study on SSPA would be carried out comprehensively, focusing on increasing the productivity and efficiency of public services.
The SSPA study, which also focuses on aspects of salary increases and allowances in the public sector was expected to take almost two years. It was touted as a reform initiative in the public service in line with the aspirations of developing “Malaysia Madani”.
The government has had an existing policy, which is to have a salary adjustment study every ten years. However, 2023 marked the twelfth year without an adjustment. There was also no comprehensive study done before this.
Cuepacs had proposed the civil servants’ minimum salary to be set at RM1,800 per month on July 18 last year. – The Vibes, January 21, 2024
