Cuepacs: Monitor prices following civil servants' pay rise

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government must monitor the prices of day-to-day basic necessities following the salary increment and bonus payment for civil servants announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when tabling the 2012 Budget Friday.

Cuepacs secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said if the Government did not monitor prices of essential goods, there could be a sudden increase due to the announcement and thus defeat the Government's efforts to reduce the burden of the people due to rise in living cost. "With the salary increase, I sincerely hope the Government will emphasise price control initiatives to curb any increase in prices of essential goods. "If the salary of civil servants is increased and the prices of goods go up, the Government's desire to help the people will not materialise."

The concern was raised by Lok after Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, announced that civil servants would enjoy a pay rise from between RM80 to RM320 based on their grade. Lok, however, welcomed the RM120mil allocation to assist civil servants further their studies on a part time basis as the Government would also offer study fees assistance to civil servants who pursued higher learning on a part-time basis starting 2012.

"This will give civil servants a chance to enhance their knowledge and qualification to improve their performances at work," said Lok. The government, together with public Higher Learning Institutions (IPTA) will offer 5,000 opportunities to continue their studies for Masters and 500 places for Phd level.

Meanwhile, Yayasan Guru Malaysia Berhad chairman Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said the time had come for teachers to be promoted based on a time based process because teachers make up a huge workforce of about 400,000. "Since there is a large number of teachers, the process of promotion will be limited if based on the previous procedure because promotion was based on availability of a vacancy," he said.

In Kuching, Sarawak Teachers Union president William Ghani Bina in welcoming the 2012 Budget as people centric, said the abolishment of additional fees for primary and secondary students would lift the burden off parents, especially low income earners and those in rural and remote areas. 

- Bernama