Government servants thankful for RM500 bonus

PETALING JAYA: The special payment of RM500 has been a pleasant surprise for civil servants.

Evelyn, a teacher in Subang Jaya, said she did not expect it because of the current economic situation.

On Monday, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng announced the special payment of RM500 for the benefit of the 1.4 million civil servants comprising permanent and contract staff employed by the federal government.

Evelyn said she would save some of the money and use the rest for her Christmas celebrations.

Safinaz, a secondary school teacher in Kelantan, plans to use half of the special payment to refurbish her school’s treatment room.

She has been in charge of the room for three years and each year, she contributes monetarily however much she can.

“There’s no special allocation given to maintain the room, it’s in a sad condition,” she said.

Chiang Wai Yin, mother of a three-month-old and three-yearold, wants to save the RM500 for her children’s education.

Hana Mohd Kasim, who works in a ministry, said the RM500 would ease the burden for some civil servants who have schoolgoing children.

“Most of the parents will use the money for back-to-school shopping,” she said, adding that she does not have any children but many of her colleagues do.

In Kuching, civil servant Edna Kristie Edward said she felt “grateful and blessed” for the incentive, which was paid yesterday.

“It might not be much but I’m very pleased that the government still gives us the incentive.

“I will use it to buy school necessities for my three children, as well as a Christmas present for my youngest and only girl who is eight years old,” she said.

Awang Hafizam Awang Saini, who works at a public university, also said the special payment would go towards his children’s schooling needs.

“To be honest, the RM500 is not enough but I’m thankful for it all the same,” he said.

The RM500 special payment was announced in Budget 2019 for civil servants in Grade 54 and below and RM250 for government pensioners.