Cuepacs suggests the government introduce a new allowance, especially for civil servants who live in the city to meet the escalating cost of living.

Its president, Azih Muda, said the ‘City Allowance’ (Elaun Bandar) proposed between RM400-RM500 a month would certainly reduce the financial burden faced by civil servants, especially those living in the cities and metropolitan areas like Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru and Ipoh.

“It’s time for the government to introduce such an allowance because we are concerned that if we do not help civil servants, their focus in their work will be interrupted when they chose to do a side job to earn an additional income,” he told reporters after a meeting with the the state civil servants which was officially opened by the director-general of Public Service, Mohamad Zabidi Zainal in Kuala Terengganu yesterday.

Elaborating further, Azih said the 'City Allowance' is different from the ‘Cost of Living Allowance’ (COLA) because it's only for about 65 percent of civil servants who live in the city.

“We also hope the government will standardise the COLA for civil servants nationwide so that all can enjoy the same rate,” he added.

- Bernama