GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government today announced a special financial aid (BKK) of half month’s pay or a minimum of RM1,000 for the public servants in the state.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (pix), when tabling the Penang 2020 Budget at the State Assembly, said the bonus payment to 3,996 civil servants in the state would be made in December.
He said the state government was very fortunate at having dedicated and committed civil servants who had helped Penang to maintain excellent performances in all sectors.
‘’Taking into account the considerable contributions of the civil servants and to boost their spirit, I approve an end of the year BKK of RM1,000,’’ he said here today.
He hoped the BKK payment would spur the civil servants to give a more excellent performance in the coming years.
Chow said the payments to Quran and Fardu Ain (religious obligations) classes (Kafa) supervisors and teachers (1,594), Sekolah Rendah Agama Rakyat teachers (275), Sekolah Menengah Agama Rakyat teachers (185), Chinese Private Schools teachers and staff (583) of RM300 each and RM200 each to Tahfiz (quran memorisation), Pondok (religious schools) and Islamic kindergarten teachers (252) would also be made in December 2019.
He said the giving of the BKK would involve RM5.42 million while the payments to the groups would involve an additional expenditure of RM841,500.000.
Earlier, Chow also announced that the Penang government would continue its welfare programme, namely, iSejahtera next year and a RM50 million had been set aside for this purpose.
In appreciation of senior citizens, he said the state government would raise the annual payment to them to RM150 from RM130.
‘’This increase is expected to benefit 178,000 senior citizens in the state involving a RM26.7 million allocation or an increase of RM3.56 million compared to this year,’’ he said.
He said the concern of the state government for the handicapped was also proven with a hike in aid to them from RM130 a year to RM150 involving almost 10,000 recipients.
This would involve an allocation of RM1.5 million or an increase of RM200,000, said Chow. — Bernama
