Half of civil servants still unable to own homes, Cuepacs says


Cuepacs says about half of 1.62 million civil servants in the country are still unable to own their own homes due to the sector’s ‘irrelevant’ minimum wage in current times. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, September 25, 2022.

ABOUT 50% of the 1.62 million civil servants in the country are still unable to own their own homes due to the sector’s “irrelevant” minimum wage in current times, Congress of Unions of Employees in Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Adnan Mat said.

He said the existing minimum wage made it difficult for the government to achieve the target of a household income of RM10,000 per month, as well as the goal of making Malaysia a high-income country by 2025 in the 12th Malaysia Plan.

As such, he said the setting of the new minimum wage of RM1,800 is important to ensure that civil servants are able to own their own homes as well as provide for their family’s transportation, education, health as well as food and drink expenses.

“Our salary projections showed civil servants ineligible to buy homes, especially in big cities. For those who are eligible, the homes they bought have been wearing out for decades and some of them who live in big cities can only afford to rent a room.

“Our current minimum salary for the first (job) appointment is mixed with fixed remunerations and COLA (Cost of Living Allowance), which means that it is now close to RM1,900… (but still) far below the poverty line income (of RM2,208),” he said after the Malacca 2022-2025 Session of the Cuepacs Triennial Delegates Conference in Malacca today.

Adnan said that although there is a Malaysian Public Servant Housing Programme, the number of housing units eligible to be purchased by civil servants based on the existing minimum wage is still insufficient because most of the units are beyond their means.

He said in addition, the issue of houses being “abandoned” for a long period of time, especially in Kelantan and Sarawak, has resulted in civil servants incurring more monthly expenses to finance housing loans and pay rent.

“Cuepacs has received several complaints – for instance when the loan has been approved and paid in full by the Public Sector Housing Financing Board (LPPSA) to the developer, the houses are still not ready and cannot be occupied… and worse still, only the pillars are there but the salary of the public servant is deducted every month.

“Therefore, we request a moratorium from LPPSA for two years so that civil servants are not burdened with (monthly payment) of housing loan financing and rent,” he said. – Bernama, September 25, 2022.


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  • The next benefit they will demand is free houses which they can own ...paid for from taxes paid by real working and economically productive people in Malaysia....they will also demand free stalls to sell nasi lemak and pisang goreng cheese in front of their houses.

    Posted 1 year ago by The Rover · Reply