Cuepacs should not ask for more — Lim Sue Goan
SEPT 22 — Does Cuepacs understand the government’s financial situation? The country has been having a fiscal deficit for 15 consecutive years and administrative expenses account for 76 per cent of total expenses. The situation will be further worsened if the welfare of civil servants continues to improve.
In 2007, then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced a pay rise by 35 per cent and living allowance rise by 100 per cent for civil servants. On March 8 this year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the withdrawal of the Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) while the Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM) will be reintroduced with improvements. Also, civil servants will receive an annual pay increase from 7 per cent to 13 per cent and an additional RM50 for living allowance. At the same time, the exit policy meant to enhance the efficiency of civil servants and dismiss those with poor performance has been cancelled.
It can be said that civil servants have received all the benefits, but have no plan to pay back. In particular, the authority resists dealing with civil servants with substandard performance. And now, Cuepacs issues a six-point wish list for the government to consider in the 2013 Budget, including asking for more than a month’s pay for bonus and an increment over the current RM180 monthly housing rental allowance.
Despite the Treasury failing to make ends meet, the government might still meet some of the demands to avoid losing votes from civil servants.
The pay rise in March this year has consumed more than RM6 billion while the half-month or a minimum RM500 bonus distributed in August consumed RM2.2 billion. Therefore, the government is unlikely to distribute bonus of more than a month. At most, it would probably announce a half-month or at least RM500 bonus, just like last year.
There might also be a symbolic adjustment to the monthly housing rental allowance. As for the demand of affordable urban housing for civil servants, the government has introduced the Skim Rumah Mampu Milik and thus, it is not a problem to include civil servants into the purchaser list.
However, Cuepacs’ demand of an announcement on whether to maintain the SSM or implement a better remuneration system makes us wonder whether it means that civil servants are asking for another remuneration system to increase their pay.
Cuepacs is willing to get civil servants to agree to work an additional 30 minutes daily as a gesture of commitment if the demands are met. However, could the productivity of the addition 30 minutes of work cover the government’s additional expenses?
The 2012 Budget allocated RM232.8 billion for government plans, setting the highest record so far. However, development expenses could not be increased as RM181.6 billion was allocated for management. With the gradually rising civil servant salaries and benefits, management expenses will continue to erode development funds. Cuepacs should not ask for more at this juncture.
To control the deficit and debt, the government can only spend a limited amount of money. After allocating a large sum to civil servants, the people can get only crumbs, not even a piece of cake.
The 2013 Budget would be the last Budget before the next general election. What should the government do to take care of so many people? The BN, after all, cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. — mysinchew.com
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
