SINGAPORE: The revised Public Service Remuneration System will be the “best” ever introduced in Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday (25 Apr) at the Malaysian Administrative and Diplomatic Service Association Aidilfitri town hall in Putrajaya.
And while the pay bump for civil servants will be costly, Bernama reported Mr Anwar as saying, “But it is not your problem.”
Instead, it is the responsibility of the government to find more money, he said, adding, that he wanted the audience to know that he does not consider the revised PSRS to be “a petty or trivial matter.”
More than 2000 people attended the town hall, including the Chief Secretary to the Government and the Director-General of Public Service.
The Prime Minister also said that the government would not only concentrate on uplifting civil servants but would also focus on other sectors, such as fishermen and farmers.
He added, nevertheless, that the job of a civil servant is not comparable with others.
“So I told my friends in the cabinet that we have no choice. We have to give you our best. We must recognise your contributions and provide a more fair remuneration system.”
Mr Anwar underlined that he wants to make sure that each group of civil servants gains advantages from the reforms.
“I said I don’t want one department, one group that feels they are left behind. We want to make a comprehensive review of this remuneration system and I have asked for it to be done together with civil service reform.”
“If we want to raise the dignity of our country, if we want to be more efficient, if we want to value people in terms of their performance, we should not give recognition simply based on their age or length of their service,” he added.
The Prime Minister also underlined the need for more woman leaders in civil service, saying that he spoke to the chief secretary to the government, Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, telling him a way must be found to increase the ranks of women among secretaries-general and directors-general of departments.
“There are certainly not enough,” said Mr Anwar.
The Prime Minister said last week that he will be announcing the proposals for raising income rates for civil servants at the Labour Day assembly on May 1. /TISG