Salary Adjustment: Civil Servants Worry About Price Hikes, Call For Stricter Enforcement

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Amid the anticipation among civil servants for the first phase of the new salary adjustment in December following the recent announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, there are also some ‘concerns’ among them.

Linking it to previous price hikes by traders following announcements of salary increases or bonus payouts, many believe that a similar situation may occur again in December.

As a result, many are urging for stricter enforcement from the relevant ministries to address the recurring issue of price hikes, ensuring that the Prime Minister's goal of improving the well-being of civil servants can be realised.

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“A salary increase means nothing if the prices of goods and services are not effectively controlled by the relevant authorities, such as the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN).

"I hope the enforcement officers, especially from KPDN, can intensify monitoring on the field to ensure that traders do not raise prices without reasonable justification,” Sobri Mohd Akhir, 52, told Bernama.

Sobri, who is a staff member at a local university, said that the decision to increase civil servants' salaries was a positive one, demonstrating the government's concern for the welfare of civil servants in balancing the growing needs of the present time.

Sharing the same sentiment, S. Rudra, 34, said the salary adjustment was significant, especially given the rising cost of living.

"My salary is around RM3,500, which might be considered luxurious if living in rural areas, but with a household income that does not reach RM5,500, living in the city can be quite challenging.

"This is compounded by the needs of two children, with rising expenses in areas such as education and childcare," she said.

For Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman, 40, the salary adjustment will help ease his financial burden in raising his five children, aged between one and 15 years old.

"As an operations assistant, my salary is only around RM2,000. With the salary increase, it can help alleviate the burden for someone like me who can be categorised as an urban poor. However, I worry that some traders might use this as an excuse to raise prices.

"In my opinion, the public and KPDN enforcement officers need to work together. There should be an easy system for the public to report price hikes, so they don’t resort to social media, but enforcement actions must be effective and swift," he said.

Last Friday, Anwar announced a 15 per cent salary adjustment for civil servants in the implementing group and a seven per cent adjustment for top management under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA).

The adjustment will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase beginning on Dec 1 this year and the second phase on Jan 1, 2026.

-- BERNAMA