Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reiterated the government’s commitment to fast-track the implementation of a more equitable and reasonable wage scheme for civil servants.
PM Anwar emphasised that the delay in executing the scheme last year, under the Unity Government, was due to the challenging financial position inherited at the time, coupled with high national debt.
“We have decided to expedite the implementation of a fair and reasonable wage scheme for civil servants, and you must believe. We did not expedite it last year because we inherited a financial position, and the national debt was still at RM1.5 trillion with a 5.6 percent deficit,” stated Anwar, who also serves as the Finance Minister.
Anwar made this announcement during his speech at the launch of the Main Database System (PADU), a comprehensive database containing profiles of individuals and households, encompassing citizens and permanent residents in Malaysia.
Last July, the government agreed to review the public service salary system, considering the rising cost of living and the lack of a salary review since 2012.
Following this decision, the Cabinet Committee on Public Service Reform (JKK-PPA) held a meeting on August 7 to discuss the Study on the Public Service Salary System (SSPA) as part of the public service reform initiative.
The commitment to reevaluate the wage system reflects the government’s responsiveness to the economic challenges faced by civil servants, and the expedited implementation is expected to address the concerns raised by various quarters regarding the need for a more just compensation structure.
