CIVIL SERVANT PAY HIKE RATES TO BE ANNOUNCED BEFORE TABLING OF BUDGET 2025 - PM ANWAR

PUTRAJAYA, June 26 (Bernama) -- The rates of civil servant salary increase, which will be implemented from December this year, will be announced before the tabling of the 2025 Budget in October, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said it has been so long since the last salary adjustment was made for civil servants.

“...while we (government) expect them (civil servants) to work harder, there has been no review of salary adjustment and fair reward for them for at least the past 10 years.

“That’s why I said it is our responsibility to give what is possible and reasonable to civil servants. Insya-Allah, I will announce (the rates) before the tabling of the national budget, this year,”  Anwar said in his speech at the Prime Minister’s Department Excellent Service Award 2023 ceremony here today.

The review of the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) was undertaken by the Unity Government last year after the last review of the salary scheme was conducted in 2013. 

Following the completion of the review, on May 1 this year, Anwar announced that civil servants will enjoy a salary hike of more than 13 per cent starting December this year, the highest increase in the nation’s history.

Meanwhile, Anwar reminded civil servants not to be swayed and get carried away with the opposition's claims pertaining to the issue of the sale of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) shares.

Instead, he said the civil servants should follow the development of the issue to know the truth and get the right picture.

 “Do not get too involved in political talks of cursing other people, slandering and accusing other Muslims of being infidels, just like what they (opposition) did in Sungai Bakap (by-election campaign). 

“They called me the adopted child of America, they said the Finance Ministry is borrowing money from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and that I followed the advice of the Jews,” he said.

During the Minister’s Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting yesterday, Anwar clarified that Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) was selected after the company agreed to continue appointing a Malaysian citizen as MAHB chairman and chief executive officer and to maintain the collective national majority ownership of shares.

He said that besides GIP, other bidders had disagreed with the strict requirements set by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

Khazanah and the EPF had set strict conditions that would see the collective Malaysian ownership of MAHB increase to 70 per cent from the current 41 per cent once the restructuring of the airport operator is completed, he said.

-- BERNAMA