CUEPACS Wants Special Haj Quota For Public Servants

KOTA KINABALU, Dec 30 (Bernama)-- The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS) wants special Haj quota to be given for public servants, especially retirees, from next year.

Its president, Azih Muda, said this was to reduce the waiting time for civil servants, as well as to encourage civil servants to perform the Haj.

"CUEPACS wants public servants to be also given Haj quota, especially for those going on retirement but have yet to perform the Haj," he told a media conference after meeting CUEPACS leaders in Sabah here Monday.

He said the Haj quota was among matters, including review of allowance, pension and salary scale, to be emphasized by the union to improve the welfare of civil servants.

Besides the Haj quota for public servants, he said, the government should also allow civil servants who had reached the age of 55 to withdraw 20 per cent of their gratuity for the purpose of performing the Haj and Umrah, as well as to pay for their medical expenses and children's education.

"CUEPACS also suggest that the formula for gratuity for civil servants to be revised to 10.5 per cent from their length of service of 7.5 per cent previously," he added.

CUEPACS also proposed that the golden handshake for civil servants who could not finish their leave to be increased from 150 days to 180 days, and for those with remaining annual leave on retirement, it should be paid in cash and in one payment.

He said CUEPACS would also call for the salary scale for all posts in the public service to be reviewed, as well as the 231 types of allowances which had not been reviewed for the past 10 years.

In another development, Azih said CUEPACS would seek an explanation from the Sabah Health Department on complaints from its staff that they were required to reimburse the department for the uniform allowance.
-Bernama.