PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has assured that the salary hike for civil servants will be approved in Parliament during the tabling of the 2025 Budget slated for this October.
Anwar said the full details of the announcement, made yesterday (May 1) during the national level Labour Day celebrations, would be revealed in due process.
"The matter has been agreed in principle. Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister and Umno president has given his support.
"Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor have given their support. This is enough majority.
"InsyaAllah (God willing), Parliament will approve this in style so it can be implemented on Dec 1, this year."
Anwar said this at the Home Ministry's Aidilfitri celebration here, today.
He reiterated that civil servants need not worry as the government had the majority needed to approve the increase in Parliament.
"In general, civil servants have welcomed my announcement but we cannot stop some bland (hambar) statements from being made.
"There have been those who questioned if Parliament would allow the increase… I want to know who, which member of Parliament will reject this increase. If they reject, we will 'humban' (throw them out) in the next elections," he added.
He also said there had been criticisms that the pay raise was not the highest that had ever been given to government servants.
"So I'm saying, please be patient. Don't be too arrogant or proud, don't be envious. If you look at the details of this decision, for those earning lower, their increase would be from 20 to almost 40 per cent for most civil servants.
"Those who are earning more, they will get a smaller pay raise. That is equitability. This is what we call justice."
Yesterday, Anwar announced a more than 13 per cent increase in civil servants' remuneration, among the highest in Malaysia's history.
The last time the civil servants' salaries were revised was 12 years ago.
Meanwhile, Anwar slammed critics who claimed that his Labour Day announcement was linked to the ongoing Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.
"(My announcement) has nothing to do with the by-elections... the decision was made earlier this year, even before the late assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong's passing.
"The announcement is made in stages, and in full during the 2025 Budget announcement."