KUALA LUMPUR – Elected representatives who oppose the pay hike for the civil service must be unmasked and handed electoral defeats, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He has taken a swipe at MPs who have the intention of blocking Putrajaya’s plan when it is tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
“Yes. I know there are critics. There are MPs who say, oh who knows, in Parliament it won’t pass. I want to see the faces who want to oppose the increase in public service allowances and salaries.
“If there are people who dare to oppose this without reasonable cause, we will defeat them in elections,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
He said this after speaking at the International Firefighters’ Day celebration in Ipoh.
Last night, the prime minister assured the RM10 billion Putrajaya had to foot next year due to the projected salary adjustments could be realised through strict financial management.
“Despite our nation’s RM1.5 trillion debt and a 5.6% deficit, which is expected to reduce to 5% this year, and insya-Allah, further next year, how can we proceed with this salary increase? It’s because we can exercise control over the nation’s financial management.
“I believe there is blessing and benefit if we remain strict and rigid when it comes to this. While many are grateful, critics argue that the increase this time isn’t the highest, considering there was previously a 35% increase,” he said at an event in Kangar, Perlis.
On Labour Day, Anwar announced a public service salary increase of more than 13%, starting from December 1 this year.
He added that the civil servant’s overall income, consisting of the minimum wage and fixed allowances, must exceed RM2,000 per month, starting this year.
Currently, he said, the minimum overall income of civil servants stood at RM1,765.
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