The annual salary hike between top civil servants and the rest of the civil service is very disproportionate, said PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

Civil servants in the top few grades get a consistent salary hike of 9 percent annually, based on the civil service salary report each year, he said.

Meanwhile, he said those below the Jusa C grade receive a fixed amount of salary hikes annually, ranging between 2.8 to 3 percent, he said.

As such, he urged for some measures to be taken so that it was fairer to civil servants at the lower grades.

"What is the reasoning behind a salary hike that is lower than the GST rates for normal civil servants whose basic salary is already low, while department and ministry chiefs, whose allowance and salary is already high, get a salary hike of 9 percent?," he questioned in a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

He suggest that the pay rise scheme should be made the other way around: Top echelons of civil servants should receive a fixed increase to their salary while those below Jusa C get a percentage-based salary increment each year.

Top-ranking civil servants are already well paid and do not need such a significant increase in their salaries each year, he said.

It is those at the bottom who could really use the big increase in their salaries, he said, as they are the ones feeling the pinch due to the present economy downturn.

"Civil servants with big families are burdened with low salaries while wastage is widespread.

"It is the responsibility of high-ranking civil servants to ensure that the government's wastage is not misused by minister and politicians," he said.