Cuepacs Sarawak happy with move to give civil servants double annual increments
KUCHING: Cuepacs Sarawak branch lauds the federal government’s move to reward 1.6 million civil servants throughout Malaysia with salary increment equivalent to one annual raise effective July 1.
“This means that civil servants are receiving two salary raise in 2018 alone. Cuepacs Sarawak therefore is grateful and touched because the honourable Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak has considered the appeals and requests of civil servants through Cuepacs.
“All this while, the civil servants were very hopeful that the Prime Minister would be making the salary increment announcement together with bonus earlier during the tabling of the 2018 National Budget but the contrary happened,” said Cuepacs Sarawak chairman Ahmad Malie on Wednesday.
However, the Prime Minister has proven that he fulfils his promises by announcing the much-awaited incentive, he said.
Ahmad hoped Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg would follow suit by announcing similar incentive for the state civil servants.
Among other things, other incentives provided by the federal government are extending health facilities to parents of contract employees, contributing RM3 million to the Cuepacs fund every year, seven days unrecorded leave for non-Muslim staff for religious purposes, a ‘one- off’ one per cent pension raise, grant of RM1 million to all pensioners’ associations and the Haj pilgrimage quota for pensioners.
Ahmad, who is also Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Association ( KGBS) chairman, said the association appreciated what Najib had done to teachers, particularly when he said excellent teachers holding Grade DG54 would be absorbed into Grade DG56 after serving for five years, effective Jan 1, 2019.
Thus, as a goodwill gesture, Ahmad urged members of Cuepacs Sarawak and KGBS to rally behind the government.
The salary increment will cost the government RM1.46 billion. It is part of a slew of goodies Najib announced for civil servants at a special address in Putrajaya on Wednesday.