RM500, pay hike for Sabah civil servants, too

Kota Kinabalu: More than 19,000 State civil service personnel of Grade 54 and below will receive a RM500 special financial assistance that will be paid out before Hari Raya Aidilfitri this month.

Announcing this after chairing the State Cabinet meeting at Wisma Innoprise here, Wednesday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman (pic) said the move that would also benefit temporary supporting staff would cost the State Government a total of RM9.58 million.

"We hope it will be able to lessen a little bit of the public service personnel's burden for the coming Hari Raya," said Musa.

At the same time, Musa, who is also Finance Minister, said the State Government had agreed to implement salary adjustment for all the 16,255 State civil service personnel under the Malaysia Remuneration System (SSM), effective July 1, 2013.

"This means all civil servants in Sabah will receive two salary increments this year as they will be having their normal annual salary increment and the salary adjustment with a similar amount to their increment," he said.

He said the move emulated the Federal Government's move as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during the 13th Public Service Premier programme to improve the public service salary structure and public service scheme.

Musa said the salary adjustments would cost the State Government about RM24.07 million annually.

He said among the benefits from the double increment was a higher pension for the personnel.

Meanwhile, State Secretary Tan Sri Sukarti Wakiman, who was also on hand at the press conference, expressed gratitude to the State Government for the bonus payout and salary adjustments on behalf of the State civil service personnel.

Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Siringan Gubat was also at the press conference.