KUALA LUMPUR: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) yesterday thanked the government for listening to its call for a special aid for frontliners as a gesture of thanks for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cuepacs president Adnan Mat said the association had suggested that the aid be disbursed to all frontliners.
"The government had previously announced that a RM500 one-off cash aid would be disbursed to 100,000 frontliners from the Health Ministry only.
"Today (yesterday), they agreed to give a RM300 one-off cash aid to other frontliners as well."
Adnan said the announcement would motivate frontliners who had been working round the clock.
"The token of appreciation by the government will motivate and spur them to do even more."
Adnan thanked members of parliament for setting aside their differences to pass the 2021 Budget, which he said was necessary to help the people.
"By approving the budget, it can help civil servants resume work and ensure that the government's agendas and policies are put into action, while at the same time, revive the economy."
He said the government's decision to review and streamline the housing allowance for civil servants was a step in the right direction.
The move, he said, could empower civil service, especially with regard to their welfare.
"Cuepacs has raised this issue since 2013. We welcome the decision as the allocation of allowances will be fairer from now on.
"This is because for now, civil servants from the peninsula who are working in Sabah and Sarawak get higher allowances than those from Sabah and Sarawak who are posted to the peninsula."
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, in winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2021 (2021 Budget) at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, announced that the government would review and streamline the housing allowance rates for civil servants.
The Ex-Policemen's Association of Malaysia thanked the government for listening to its grouses and addressing them in the 2021 Budget.
Its secretary-general, Mokhtar Omar, said the one-off payment for police pensioners and ex-policemen in the 2021 Budget was proof that the administration cared for the people.
Mokhtar said the association had in August voiced concern about the need for the government to provide financial aid in recognition of their contributions to the nation.
"We are thankful that the government heard our plea.
"We spoke to Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz about it (before) and he said he would study ways to help.
"Zafrul's announcement today (yesterday) showed that he kept his promise and that he would do something to help us.
"He did not take the association's cause lightly. This is a good start for many things to come," he told the New Straits Times.
Zafrul, in his 2021 Budget winding-up speech at Parliament, said the ministry had agreed to widen the category of recipients of the one-off payments to 40,000 police pensioners and ex-police following the association's suggestion.
He said he had on Nov 6 announced a RM500 one-off payment to 40,000 police pensioners who received the Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara.
The payment for beneficiaries of both one-off payments was estimated at RM40 million, he added.