KUALA LUMPUR: The increase in their salaries can serve as motivation for civil servants to provide exemplary service and strengthen their integrity, said Malaysia Corruption Watch (MCW) president, Jais Abdul Karim.
He stated that the government's move to raise salaries in the face of escalating cost of living is timely and appropriate.
"The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) study found a close correlation between salary and integrity... Individuals are more likely to resort to corruption to supplement insufficient income," he said during an interview on the Bernama TV's "Apa Khabar Malaysia" today (May 3).
During the Labour Day celebration in Putrajaya on Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a salary increase for civil servants of over 13 percent, amounting to one of the highest and best in the country's history, involving an allocation of over RM10 billion.
Jais also believes that this salary increase can alleviate some of the civil servants' financial burdens, thereby boosting their focus on serving the people.
"The public desires integrity from civil servants, expecting swift and sincere service. It's a high standard they hold civil servants to," he remarked. — BERNAMA
TAGS: civil servants, salary increase, integrity, corruption, Malaysian Corruption Watch