PUTRAJAYA: THE government will give out special financial aid worth RM500 each to civil servants for their Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration preparations.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in announcing this yesterday, said 684,000 government retirees would also be entitled to a share of the Raya cheer.
He also said in a statement the retirees would receive RM250 each as the government’s way of showing its appreciation for their services.
“The payout will be made on July 15. The special aid for civil servants and retirees will involve an allocation worth RM890 million.”
Najib said the government hoped the aid would ease the financial burden of civil servants and retirees as they prepared for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.
Earlier, Najib chaired the first meeting of the expanded cabinet, following the appointment of ministers from MCA and Gerakan last week. All three new ministers — Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, and Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mah Siew Keong and Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong — were present at the meeting.
It was Mah’s and Wee’s first cabinet meeting, having been appointed ministers for the first time in their political careers.
Liow had previously been health minister, but MCA declined all political posts following its dismal showing in the 13th General Election last year. Liow is MCA president, with Wee acting as his deputy. Mah, meanwhile, is Gerakan president.
Their inclusion in the cabinet was made to strengthen the concept of power-sharing in the administration so that all major communities in the country were represented.
Najib, when announcing the appointments last week, also named the three MCA vice-presidents — Datuk Lee Chee Leong, Datuk Chua Tee Yong and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun — as deputy ministers, taking on the International Trade and Industry, Finance and Women, Family and Community Development portfolios respectively.
Mah and Wee were both given their portfolios before the meeting commenced.
It is understood that Mah would be in charge of the Hindu Endowment Board, Chinese
Petty Traders and Hawkers Development, Special Innovation Agency (Unik), Nuclear Energy Development and Malaysia Industry Group for High Technology (MIGHT).
Wee, meanwhile, was assigned the Chinese New Village Affairs and Small and Medium Industries (SMI) portfolios.
Meanwhile, Najib lauded the Tourism Ministry for its newly-launched music video called Essence of Asia.
The video, aimed at promoting Visit Malaysia Year 2014, was posted by Najib on his Facebook account. It went viral six hours after being posted on his page.
“As I watched the video, I could feel an overwhelming sense of surrealism as I was reminded how blessed we are to live in a country as breathtakingly beautiful as Malaysia.”
Najib also attached the link to the five-minute music video, calling on Malaysians to experience the clip for themselves.
The video showcased some of Malaysia’s top tourist destinations while highlighting its rich, colourful culture and diversity.
From the deep jungles of Taman Negara in Pahang to the highest mountain in the country, Mount Kinabalu, the video highlighted Malaysia’s favourite getaway destinations, as well as nature’s untouched treasure troves.
The music video recently won the bronze medal in the New York-based 35th Annual Telly Awards, and had also won a special award in the Public Awareness Campaign at France’s 3rd Deauville Green Awards International Film Festival for sustainable development and ecology and Germany’s 2014 Golden City Gate Tourism Media Awards in the “Country” category.
The music video’s soundtrack was a new rendition of Malaysia Truly Asia, sung by popular Los Angeles-based Malaysian songbird, Yuna. Additional reporting by Zafira Anwar