IR4.0 will keep civil servants relevant in Covid-19 pandemic — Lecturer

Free Malaysia Today quoted the retailing tycoon saying that it was only sensible that civil servants’ pay be reduced and such savings could go towards helping the poor who had been most affected by the movement control order )MCO), with the haemorrhaging private sector undertaking salary cuts and layoffs as the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

He suggested that such pay cuts for civil servants could be scaled based on their salary level, saying everyone is taking a pay cut in the private sector, including his company which has slashed staff salaries by up to 50 per cent and completely halted payments to its top directors.

Ameer raised concern on how a dip in taxes as well as the plunge in the prices of key commodity exports would allow Putrajaya to maintain the salaries of civil servants, particularly highranking government officials who are getting full salaries, including MPs and assemblymen.

The Prime Minister had announced a two-month salary cut for cabinet members.

Karambir said personally he would be against any pay cuts for civil servants who had their expenditures and obligations, saying it is unfortunate that that the private sector and its employees are bearing the brunt of the MCO.

“This should not equate to the logic that civil servants must suffer as well but perhaps there is some merit in the very highly paid civil servants taking some temporary pay cuts,” he added.

Such systems would enable the civil service to remain relevant and productive to the nation. Karambir Singh