Pay rise for civil servants

PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants are to receive salary increases of between 7% and 13% under an improved Malaysian Remuneration System.

This follows the scrapping of the controversial Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA), which had come under criticism from government employees.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the improved Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM) to applause from more than 10,000 civil servants at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
“I hope that this would be the best solution for the benefit of the civil service,” he said.

Immigration Department staff members cheering after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced salary increases of between 7% and 13%. — MOHD SAHAR MISNI / The Star

 

The Prime Minister said employees in the management and professional group from grades 1 to 54 would get an adjustment of 13%. They form the bulk of the 1.4 million civil servants.

“The SSM salary structure will be adapted from the Matrix Salary Schedule to the Minimum-Maximum Salary Schedule for Grades 1 to 54.

“The rate of the annual increment for this group is fixed between RM80 and RM320 according to grade.”
Najib said that employees on the Superscale (JUSA Jawatan Utama Sektor Awam) and Special Grades A, B and C would have their salaries adjusted by 9%.
Salaries of Staff Grade II and III officers would be adjusted by 8%.
Salaries of Staff Grade I officers and the Chief Secretary to the Government would be adjusted by 7%.
Lower-ranking civil servants had objected to SBPA after it was found to benefit mostly the top officials.
Under SBPA, the Chief Secretary to the Government would receive RM60,000 and Staff Grade officers about RM36,000 a month.

In contrast, some in the lower grades would get an increase of as little as RM1.70.
SBPA was to have been implemented on Jan 1, but Najib on Jan 12 ordered it postponed and three days later announced the setting up of a task force to review the scheme.

The task force, headed by former Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam, was given three months to get feedback and to come up with recommendations to the government.
It received 1,087 complaints besides several memorandums while 23 unions and associations submitted proposals. They include Cuepacs, the National Union of the Teaching Profession, Malaysian Medical Association and the Malaysian Academic Association.

The Prime Minister also announced that the Cost of Living Allowance (Cola) would be increased from RM200 to RM250 for the B (semi-urban) area, and from RM100 to RM150 for the C (rural) area.
The Cola for the A or urban area is now RM300.

Najib said the Critical Service Incentive Payment, Regional Incentive Payment, Interior Incentive Payment and the Educational Subject Incentive Payment would be maintained.

Najib said that a commission comprising relevant interest groups would be set up to make a comprehensive study concerned not only with remuneration but also the type of civil service required in the future.
“Remember that whatever we do today will have a long-term impact. The Government does not want Malaysia to face a financial catastrophe like Greece,” Najib said.

source:http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/9/nation/10885945&sec=nation

Cuepacs delighted with decision to scrap SBPA

PUTRAJAYA: Cuepacs has voiced its delight with the Government’s decision to scrap the Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) but pledged to pursue more of its demands once the special commission on the Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM) convenes.

Its president Datuk Omar Osman said civil servants now have no reason not to work hard.
“We hope they will now focus on their work because a large part of our demands have been met.
“If we continue to be dissatisfied, the issues will never be resolved,” he added.
A junior officer with the Youth and Sports Ministry, who gave his name as Azman, said that nobody really understood SBPA.

“I think SSM is still relevant.
“We simply don’t know how SBPA works,” he said.
His colleague known only as Fadhil agreed, saying that many civil servants were reluctant to accept SBPA as they were never given a full explanation of the scheme.
“We were just told of the plan to change (the system).
“There was no explanation of the salary (structure),” he said.
A Works Ministry employee who gave her name as Asma was happy that the 13% salary adjustment was for the bulk of civil servants.

She noted that the lower the grade the higher the percentage of the salary increase.
A senior Finance Ministry officer, who declined to be identified, agreed that sticking with SSM was fair considering that the majority of civil servants were in grades 1 to 54 and that SBPA could have created a large income disparity between them and senior officers.

His colleague, who also declined to be named, said SBPA would have been a good way to promote productivity and creativity among government staff.

He said SBPA would have provided a comprehensive evaluation plan to encourage civil servants to be more effective in their work, but the lack of information was a stumbling block.

source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/9/nation/10885946&sec=nation

SBPA perkenal dasar keluar bagi penjawat awam

25/10/2011 3:26pm

KUCHING 25 Okt. — Sistem Saraan Baru Perkhidmatan Awam (SBPA) yang dilaksanakan mulai tahun depan bakal menguatkuasakan ‘dasar keluar’ bagi penjawat awam yang berprestasi rendah atau yang ingin bertukar ke agensi lain termasuk swasta.
Presiden Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS), Datuk Omar Osman berkata, buat permulaan dasar itu melibatkan penjawat awam Kumpulan Pengurusan dan Profesional dan penilaian dibuat berdasarkan laporan prestasi tahunan serta Pencapaian Petunjuk Prestasi Utama (KPI) penjawat awam berkenaan.
Kumpulan Pengurusan dan Profesional melibatkan penjawat awam Gred 41 ke atas.
"Ia bagus kerana di bawah dasar baru tersebut penjawat awam tidak akan hilang status pencen serta faedah lain yang layak diterima,” katanya kepada Bernama selepas taklimat isu semasa CUEPACS untuk ketua-ketua jabatan dan penjawat awam negeri ini di Bangunan Sultan Iskandar hari ini.
Omar berkata, berbeza dengan Skim Saraan Malaysia (SSM) pada masa ini yang membenarkan penjawat awam untuk pencen awal pada umur 40 tahun, SBPA membenarkan penjawat awam berbuat demikian lebih awal tertakluk kepada syarat-syarat tertentu yang akan ditetapkan Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA).

Katanya, dasar baru itu memberi ruang kepada penjawat awam untuk bertukar kerjaya sama ada berkhidmat di agensi lain seperti Syarikat Berkaitan Kerajaan (GLC) atau swasta yang sedia ada sekarang.
"Dasar ini bagus kerana mungkin penjawat awam tersebut boleh meningkatkan produktiviti di sektor lain yang dirasakan sesuai untuk mereka,” katanya. — Bernama

We learn from teachers

ET CETERA
By SHARON LING

The nation needs to recruit the best talents to be teachers to get students to be the best in all they do.
THERE is no better time to be a teacher than now.
Budget 2012, unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last week, offers a wealth of incentives to teachers under the focus of strengthening the civil service.
Not least of these is a pay rise and time-based promotion according to the New Civil Remuneration Scheme (SBPA).
Of course, other civil servants will also benefit from the scheme, but it’s significant that the Prime Minister used teachers as an example in explaining it.
For instance, teachers on grade DG48 will receive a maximum salary of RM8,710, an increase of 37.7% from RM6,325.39 under the Malaysia Remuneration System (SSM).
For non-graduate teachers on grade DG34, the maximum salary will increase by 39% from RM3,860.52 under SSM to RM5,370 under SBPA.
Moreover, in line with Najib’s Teachers’ Day message earlier this year, when he announced a better career path for graduate teachers, the SBPA offers time-based promotion whereby teachers will reach grade 44 in their eighth year and grade 48 in the 16th year of service. Similarly, it will take eight years for non-graduate teachers to be promoted from grade 29 to 32.
Civil servants, including teachers, also stand to enjoy a bigger annual increment of RM80 to RM320 according to grade, while those who opt for the SBPA will receive an annual increment of between 7% and 13%.
Other measures to boost the capacity of civil servants include tuition fee assistance for further studies on a part-time basis and scholarships for postgraduate studies at public institutions of higher learning. The Government will also offer 20,000 places to diploma teachers to pursue undergraduate studies, giving them a better career path and promotional prospects.
These incentives, according to Najib, are meant to transform the civil service to be dynamic, responsive and excellent.
“This includes a radical change in recruitment, placement as well as career development,” he said when presenting the Budget.
Hopefully, the incentives will not only spur teachers on to greater excellence but attract the best and brightest talents to enter the teaching profession.
As I’ve mentioned before, it is high time we change our mindset on the recruitment of teachers. Teachers play such an important role in shaping young minds and nurturing future generations that it is surely appropriate to recruit top graduates into teaching.
Unfortunately, the prevailing attitude still seems to be that those who achieve straight-A results in school should go on to study medicine, engineering, the sciences or law. Rarely do you hear of top students being actively encouraged to take up teaching.
If we want our education system to produce excellent students, we must start by recruiting the best talents to be teachers, who have a passion and commitment not only for education but in being role models and inspiring their students to be the best in all they do.
Look at SK Ulu Lubai, a primary school deep in the interior of Limbang division, which was featured in The Star this week.
Despite its remote location, it was named the country’s best primary school last year and a high performance school this year, with 100% passes in UPSR since 2006 and pupils who speak English confidently. It’s a testament to what a few dedicated and passionate teachers can achieve.
Of course, other factors cannot be discounted, like a good curriculum, parental support and community involvement, but the quality of teachers is paramount.
A report by international research consultancy McKinsey’s last year noted that the world’s top-performing school systems – Singapore, Finland and South Korea – recruited all their teachers from the top third of graduates.
Leaders in these school systems believe that “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers”, hence they have taken a strategic and systematic approach to attract, develop, retain and train the most talented educators.
After recruiting from the top third of graduates, the report says, these countries also rigorously screen them on other qualities, such as perseverance, motivational abilities and passion for children.
Now that the Budget has spelled out attractive incentives for teachers, let’s go one step further and begin recruiting our top graduates into the profession.

Source:http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/14/sarawak/9693789&sec=sarawak

Budget 2012 - How it affects you

Parliamentarians
- Allowances and benefits for members of parliament will be revised.

EPF contributors

- EPF contributions by employers will increase from 12 per cent to 13 per cent for those earning less than RM5,000 a month.

Cuepacs gets more than it bargained for

IT is more than a dream Budget for Cuepacs, which got more goodies than expected.
Its president Datuk Omar Osman said issues which it had been pushing for, such as new remuneration scheme, higher increment, bonus and extension of retirement age had been met by the Government.
“Not only that, it offered us more by giving incentives to further studies and also increments for annual pensions. This is the best Budget so far and I would like to thank the Prime Minister.
“It is now time for civil servants to deliver their part of the deal by giving the best service to help the Government fulfil its promises to the rakyat. Be ready to work hard and prove our worth,” Omar said.
He said the new Civil Service Renumeration Scheme (SBPA) provided civil servants with higher annual increments of between RM80 and RM320 compared to the RM40 and RM120 under the present Malaysian Remuneration System.
“However, we need to get the full details of the SBPA. I was told there will be a briefing on this.”

Civil servants have also expressed happiness with the goodies announced yesterday.
Finance Ministry chief administrative assistant Siti Rohaidah Salim, 44, said she and her colleagues were delighted at the news.
“It was totally unexpected,” she said, adding that she was especially thankful for the salary increment.
The mother-of-five said it would help her cope with the rising cost of living.
Another civil servant, Mohd Salleh Osman, 43, said the half-month bonus would come in handy at the end of the year when he has to pay for his car insurance and prepare his 13-year-old daughter for the new school year.

source:http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/8/nation/9657315&sec=nation

PM's budget speech

Full text of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's Budget 2012 speech in Parliament Friday:
Mr Speaker Sir,
I beg to move the Bill intituled “An Act to apply a sum from the Consolidated Fund for the service of the year 2012 and to appropriate that sum for the service of that year” be read a second time.
I begin the 2012 Budget speech by reciting the holy kalimah Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Faster promotions under new scheme, says bumi teachers union

KUCHING: The new Civil Service Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) announced in Budget 2012 is a boost to teachers by providing time-based promotions and other incentives.
Sarawak Bumiputra Teachers Union (KGBS) president Ahmad Malie said promotions would be faster under the new scheme, taking eight years instead of 10 under a time-based system.
Other incentives, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, include annual salary increments between RM80 and RM230 according to grade, an annual increment of 7%-13% for civil servants who opt for the SBPA, raising the retirement age to 60 and a half-month bonus for civil servants.
“We are confident that these incentives will stimulate and motivate teachers in carrying out their duties besides helping the Government to achieve its aim of national transformation,” Ahmad said in a statement yesterday.
However, he said the time-based promotion scheme was still vague and needed more clarification.
“We would like this matter to be fine-tuned by the Education Ministry together with teachers unions so that no teacher will be left out from enjoying these incentives,” he said.
Ahmad also welcomed the announcement on tuition fee assistance for civil servants, including teachers, to further their studies at degree, Masters and doctorate levels.
He said this would enable them to improve themselves in line with the Government’s aim of producing a knowledgeable and highly-skilled civil service.
In addition, he noted that education was given the biggest allocation of RM50.2bil in the Budget, including RM1.9bil for all schools and RM1bil in a special fund for the construction, improvement and maintenance of schools.
“We urge the allocation to be channelled to schools which need them most, including those in Sarawak,” he said.
On the abolishment of payments for co-curriculum, internal test papers, Malaysian Schools Sports Council and insurance premium, making primary and secondary education free, Ahmad said this was good news for parents as it would help to lessen their financial burden.
However, he hoped parents understood which payments were being abolished so as not to cause confusion.
“This doesn’t include exercise books, stationery and other equipment which parents still have to pay for. Nevertheless, the Government is sensitive to this and is providing a one-off assistance of RM100 to all students from Year One to Form Five.
“We advise parents to use this assistance wisely to provide their children’s schooling needs,” he said.

source:http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/9/sarawak/9662741&sec=sarawak

No hike in MPs’ allowance

KUALA LUMPUR: There will be no increase in the allowances of the 222 MPs as envisaged under Budget 2012, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

“I am withdrawing the proposal immediately,” Nazri, who is in charge of Parliament, said at Parliament lobby yesterday.

Nazri withdrew the Government's proposal for the extra RM30mil, citing objections from the Opposition that claimed “it was not the right time” for the revision.

The objections came from Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub.

“They are bigwigs and speak for their party,” said Nazri. “So, I will take this as a no' to the allowance.”
Salahuddin sits on the 14-member committee, which comprises Barisan, Opposition and independent MPs, tasked with looking into the matter.

Nazri said the committee had found that Malaysian MPs made the least amount in monthly allowances compared with their Singaporean, Indonesian and Thai counterparts.
“Our MPs' monthly wage is RM6,500,” he said.
“In Singapore, an MP makes RM33,589, RM18,111 in Indonesia and up to RM12,500 in Thailand.
“They use this allowance to hire researchers and pay rental for their service centres.
“Why should they pay out of their own pockets to serve their constituents?
“The MPs needs have been factored in when considering this allowance,” he added.

Anwar said it was not wise to increase the allowance at this point considering the current economic downturn, but he would reconsider the proposal and their objection if “it is for assistants and researchers”.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced in his Budget 2012 speech last Friday that the proposal for the allowance would be passed provided all parties agreed to a quantum.

source:http://archives.thestar.com.my/search/?q=MP+elaun

Kenaikan Gaji Tahunan SBPA

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