Another pay hike for govt servants this year (Update)

PUTRAJAYA: Government servants nationwide are set to benefit from another annual salary increment from July 1 onwards.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the increment will apply to all 1.6 million civil servants in the country with an additional cost of RM1.46 billion.
"This means all civil servants will be receiving an additional salary increment on top of the current annual salary increment for this year," he said during his speech at the 16th Special Mandate for the Civil Service Ceremony (MAPPAXVI) at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), here.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa, Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Zainal Rahim Seman, Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Datuk Azih Muda and several cabinet ministers among others
Among other goodies announced by Najib include allowing non-Muslim personnel to take up to seven days of recorded leave for religious events and a special haj quota for retired Muslim staff.
"The extension of unrecorded leave for non-Muslims takes effect from January onwards.
"The government would also continue to protect the welfare of government retirees. As such to ensure that retirees are able to perform their haj from 2018 and beyond, I have therefore agreed to fix a quota, which would be announced later once the government obtains the quota allocated for Malaysia, by the Saudi Arabia government," he said.
Assuring that the Barisan Nasional government will continue to strengthen and empower the civil service, Najib also announced other initiatives for civil servants which includes:
- Period reduction for time-based promotion for government staff from 13 years to 10 years from January 1, 2018. The exercise will involve 13,006 officers with the financial implication of RM34 million.
- Creating a special DG56 grade for the education service officer scheme effective January 1 2019. Those presently under the Grade DG54 for more than five
years with excellent service record will be automatically promoted to the special grade. The exercise will involve 323 officers with a cost of RM7.4 million.
- Extension of medical facilities to parents of contract-based civil servants effective July 1.
- RM3 million in annual funds to Cuepacs.
- A one-off 1% increment for government pensioners this year in addition to 2% already being received by them since January 1.
- A special grant of RM1 million to each pensioners' association such as the Malaysian Government Retirees' Association, Malaysian Government Retirees' Foundation and 1Malaysia Government Retirees' Club (KUPEKMAS).
In announcing the benefits for retirees, Najib also took a veiled dig at Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed stating that "the 93-year-old pensioner also stands to benefit from the government's decision".
Slamming the Opposition for labeling the country under the Barisan Nasional ruled-government as a failed state, Najib stressed that failed states are those that have yet to build a tunnel and whose residents continue to endure water cuts, 10 years following a change of government.
"As far as I am concerned, what is said to be a failed state is when they build a tunnel, which is still unfinished. Then when there is flood, (Penang government) will ask for our help and the civil servants are the ones who have to resolve the problem.
"If that is not a failure (for a state), then what is?" he asked to the thunderous applause of over 10,000 civil servants present at the function.