Cuepacs is to raise with the Public Services Department (PSD) a complaint by civil servants that income tax and EPF deductions were made to their half-month bonus paid yesterday.  

Its president, Omar Osman, said he would bring up the matter with the PSD at a joint breaking-of-the-fast event next Tuesday, particularly for the sake of the middle-income earners.

“It is pointless to have huge deductions made when we asked for the bonus to ease the financial burden in view of higher prices of goods,” he told Bernama.

Omar also dismissed the assumption of certain quarters that the bonus payment was an attempt to garner political support.

“Let’s not politicise the matter. We asked for the bonus for the sake of  staff welfare and to raise productivity and the spirit to work harder,” he said.

The government paid a half-month bonus or minimum of RM500 to its 1.27 million staff and a special payment of RM500 to all government pensioners.  

- Bernama