The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) has urged the government to review the allowance for civil servants posted overseas.
Its president Azih Muda said the adjustment must be done immediately as the depreciation in the value of the ringgit was a burden to civil servants who had to bear increased costs of living overseas.
He said in most cases, they had brought their families with them and had to pay for their children’s education as well as various other services for the duration they were overseas.
“We urge the government to immediately review the allowance for civil servants overseas. The government does not have to wait for the national budget to be tabled this October because we do not want civil servants to face financial burdens.
“If the Johor and Terengganu state governments have given increments to their sponsored students overseas in the face of the increased cost of living, why can’t the government do the same for civil servants,” he said when met at the Cuepacs meeting with the Rubber Industries Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) in Alor Setar today.
Azih said although the price of commodities and oil had dropped, the government still had enough funds derived from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to help civil servants who were the backbone of the nation’s administration.
Meanwhile, he said Cuepacs hoped the government would implement the minimum salary of RM1,200 for civil servants and resolve the issue of 250 schemes for the civil service.
He said the minimum salary should be implemented immediately to solve the problem of the increasing cost of living.
“We hope the government can announce (it) in the tabling of the 2016 budget in October. We also hope that the request for the government to give a three-month bonus to civil servants (is approved),” he said.
In a separate development, Azih said Cuepacs urged civil servants not to join the Bersih 4 rally on Aug 29 and 30.
He said such rallies do not help improve the lives of civil servants.
- Bernama
