By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Nov 16: State civil service pensioners hoped the state government would also remember their service to the state by giving them a one-and-a-half-month bonus, too.
Roderick Frederick Oh, who retired from the state civil service in 2004, argued that even though their pensions were paid by the federal government under the Public Service Department’s Post-Service Division, former state civil servants like him deserved to be given due recognition for their contributions to nation building.
“We have served the state government diligently during our service, so we should also be considered for the (one-and-a-half-month) bonus as announced by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for state civil servants recently (Nov 14),” Oh told DayakDaily here today.
He related that he was with the state civil service from 1970 to 2004, with his last post as a senior Health Assistant with Kuching South City Council (MBKS).
“As pensioners, we hope that we are also given the bonus to show that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is a fair government,” said Oh.
Oh’s view was shared by a former senior state civil servant who preferred to remain anonymous.
“I believe it’s the right call for the state government to give retired state civil servants the bonus as well. But as for the quantum, we leave it to the discretion of the state government,” he said.
On Wednesday, Abang Johari announced in his winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly that the windfall would be paid by the end of next month and that the quantum would be 1.5 times the basic salary or a minimum of RM2,000.
The announcement would benefit some 24,000 State civil servants, including those working with state statutory bodies and councils.
According to State Secretary Tan Sri Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani, the bonus this time is the biggest so far for the state civil service.
At press time, the Public Service Department’s Post-Service Division could not be reached for comments. — DayakDaily
