AFTER the fiasco on abolishing critical service allowance for certain public sector jobs, Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad has proposed that the cabinet should not approve papers submitted on the same day.

The paper on the Public Service Department’s (PSD) proposal to abolish the monthly RM750 allowance for critical service jobs was rushed through cabinet, with ministers giving their approval without reading it thoroughly.

Khalid was quoted in Free Malaysia Today, saying the paper was handed to the cabinet on the day of the December 18 meeting itself, instead of the usual two-week timeframe.

“We couldn’t read everything and it was approved,” he was quoted as saying in Putrajaya yesterday.

He said the paper could have been submitted two weeks later because the cabinet met bi-weekly.

He added a heading in the paper mentioned an “adjustment” to allowances but in text of the report, it turned out to be a “withdrawal” of the critical service allowance.

The withdrawal of the allowance, or Critical Service Incentive Payment, was announced on December 25, affecting 33 service schemes, and only for new recruits from tomorrow onwards.

PSD’s rationale was the allowance was no longer relevant as incentive to entice people to work in these schemes as was the case 27 years ago when it was introduced – when qualified candidates were difficult to find.

These service schemes include doctors and nurses.

The backlash was immediate, with Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman saying it was not discussed in the cabinet meeting.

On December 27, he took it up with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, later tweeted that the prime minister had agreed to postpone the circular on abolishing the allowance.

Yesterday, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, when asked, said the cabinet would be discussing it at its first meeting of the new year. – December 31, 2019.