Pay hike for civil servants, efficient service, no corruption, 8.3.2007.

DAP National Deputy Chairman and MP for Kepong Dr Tan Seng Giaw maintains that as the Government is considering a salary hike proposal for civil servants, it should try its utmost to improve the service and racial composition as well as eradicate corruption in the civil service.

Dr Tan is aware that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met Cuepacs representatives including its president Omar Osman on 6 March, 2007. The Government is considering Cuepacs's request for a salary revision and improvement of service perks.

The last salary revision for civil servants was in 1992. The new proposal is to increase salaries between 10 to 40%. Osman says that if the proposal is accepted, it will be a short in the arm for them and they will work harder. The people hope that civil servants work hard. Occasionally, when we visit government departments in the morning, we see a few having breakfast at their desks.

Since the cost of living has gone up, those with low income have difficulty getting by and income gap between low and high grade is big, consideration for the above proposal is reasonable. A low grade government worker earning RM 500 a month and a police constable with RM 600 monthly salary can scarcely manage, especially in towns.

Last year, the Government announced the Report of the Royal Commission to enhance the police force of 80,000, and the Cabinet has approved the recruitment of 60,000 personnel in the next five years. Now, the government has 1.2 million employees. We need a Royal Commission to ascertain the ways to upgrade the service, whether there are too many civil servants, any system based on merits, racial composition, restructuring and so forth.

Abdullah reiterates that there should be a better delivery system for civil service. But, the performance of civil servants has left much to be desired. Pay revision for 1.2 million personnel requires a big expenditure of public fund.

It is essential to increase the pay of the police. It is equally important to revise the pay of government employees. But, we cannot do without the restructuring of government departments for a better service. According to Osman, the Prime Minister has asked them to increase productivity, be efficient and responsible.

We insist that a pay hike must be accompanied by an improvement, adoption and practice of a series of attributes such as efficiency, friendly attitude, better racial composition, meritocracy and freedom from corruption.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw