STARTING next year, the government will not give the “critical service incentive” to doctors, nurses, engineers and other professionals joining the civil service.

A circular dated December 20 said those who already receive the allowance will continue to get it, including contract workers whose deals are renewed.

The government will also stop paying eight other allowances, including for entertainment and private secretaries, and to boost English proficiency.

The critical service incentive ranges between 5% and 15% of recipients’ base salary.

Nurses get the maximum 15%. Medical officers, pharmacists and lecturers in the related fields get a flat rate of RM750.

The allowance was introduced in 1992 for jobs that were difficult to fill and had low recruitment. A review this year showed that these positions no longer meet the criteria.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who chaired a cabinet committee on the civil service, decided that new hires will not get the incentive.

This affects all 33 civil service schemes that currently receive the allowance.

Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad confirmed the matter in a tweet this morning.

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman took to Twitter last night to express his disagreement with the decision.

“We should review all the allowances given to politicians and ministers such as myself.

“Doctors, nurses and those in the critical sectors are already underpaid and overworked.”

The Muar MP vowed to cut the number of his annual leave days and return “every sen” of his holiday allowance before seeing to it that his peers, too, get their incentives reduced.

Najib Razak, meanwhile, mocked Syed Saddiq, telling him to send a WhatsApp message to his fellow cabinet members who are busy vacationing.

The former prime minister also questioned the move to stop the critical service incentive for new hires.

“I hope there won’t be a situation where government clinics and hospitals don’t have enough doctors or nurses, and the people are forced to visit private clinics and hospitals, which have raised their charges,” he said on Facebook.

The Malaysian Medical Association tweeted that the government decision will demoralise healthcare professionals.

The Public Service Department (PSD), in a statement today, assured that existing recipients will continue to get the allowance until they leave service.

The department said it reviews allowances from time to time, adding that a report on the 1992 remuneration system stated that the critical service incentive should be reviewed every five years to determine its necessity.

“In principle, the allocation is not permanent and can be withdrawn when the relevant service schemes are no longer deemed critical.”

Since the allowance was introduced, said PSD, only three reviews were conducted, in 1997, 2001 and 2007. – December 25, 2019.