KUCHING: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) Sarawak expressed shock over director-general of Public Services Datuk Seri
Borhan Dolah’s statement on Wednesday that starting next year, new appointments in the public service may no longer be made under the permanent and pensionable schemes.
Borhan had stated that new appointments will instead be made under an improved contractual scheme.
Cuepacs Sarawak felt that the current pension scheme was very good for Malaysia and in line with the country’s constitution.
“The question is whether a clause in the Federal Constitution for civil servants and pensioned service will no longer be enforced in 2020,” Cuepacs Sarawak secretary Omar Bahrein Unin told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
Cuepacs Sarawak opined that the future of youths to serve with the government would no longer be a priority if the proposal was implemented.
“National service is of paramount importance to the integrity of a government and the wholeness and stability of a government and nation.
“In Malaysia we are still practising the tripartite policy but lately the views of these three parties seem to have been forgotten whereby trade unions are apparently no longer important to the government,” he remarked.
Cuepacs Sarawak was of the view that the government only looked at national finances.
“Are the country’s finances static? Will the country’s revenue not increase from year to year?” Omar questioned.
According to him, Cuepacs Sarawak listens to and advocates for Malaysia to become a wealthy and sustainable nation and believes that the pillar of strength of the nation revolves around upholding a stable public service.
However, he wondered what would happen to this pillar’s strength if the government would no
longer employ permanent staff with pensions.
“What is the fate of government workers to have better lives including home ownership, assets and children’s education? How about their income and their social protection?
“Does the government only intend to fill part of the civil service permanently from uniformed members and not give non-uniformed staff an opportunity to serve permanently?” Omar asked.
He hoped that the negotiations would continue between the
government and Cuepacs to ensure that the future of civil servants would not be a point of conflict.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Sarawak secretary Andrew Lo remarked that any proposals to alter the Public Service Pensions Scheme must be considered carefully.
“All factors need to be taken into account, including the interest of civil servants, the government’s financial position and the interest of the public at large,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on Thursday disclosed that this
proposal to terminate the Public Service Pensions Scheme was still being studied.
