KUALA KUBU BARU: Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said there should be no room for debate following the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday regarding the salary increase for civil servants.

He said the government values all groups of workers and there were different programmes for different sectors, citing the Progressive Wage Policy, which aims to increase the median wage of private sector employees, as evidence of this commitment.

"For us, civil servants are frontliners. If we want our country's economy to progress, so we can create better job opportunities, then we need civil servants who are productive and efficient.

"So with the understanding and appreciation given to civil servants, I believe it will provide motivation for civil servants to continue to carry out their duties to develop the country's economy together," he told reporters after being a panellist in the Suara Anak Madani programme here yesterday.

Sim attributed last year's recorded government investment of RM329.5 billion to the indispensable support of civil servants, who played a vital role in facilitating these achievements through their daily administrative processes.

"With these investments, our economy is poised for growth, and subsequently, there will be better-paying job opportunities. So, there is a symbiotic relationship, or what people call cooperation. It is not a competition," he said.

Yesterday, Anwar announced a more than 13 per cent increase in civil servants' remuneration, among the highest in Malaysia's history.

The increase will be effective Dec 1 this year.

The last time the civil servants' salaries were revised was 12 years ago.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/05/1045290/pay-hike-civil-servants-no-room-debate-govt-values-all-worker-groups