THE special appreciation aid for civil servants and government retirees for 2023 will be paid on August 10.

The Public Service Department (PSD) said a payment of RM300 will be given to civil servants in the management and professional groups as well as the executive group Grade 56 and below, including officers and contract appointees.

“Aid recipients are also extended to government retirees including pensioners, derivative pension recipients, Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme retirees, optional retirees who have not yet received a pension, pensionable and non-pensionable veterans who will receive RM200.

“Staff who are serving on a permanent, temporary and contract of service (COS) appointed officers in addition to officers who are on full-paid leave, half-paid leave and unpaid leave on August 10 will be eligible for payment,” he said.

Seconded officers, including to agencies whose compensation management is separate, are also eligible for payment, by the agency that accepted the officer’s secondment.

According to the circular, the aid is also given to MySTEP appointed officers who are still serving on August 10 and were appointed before August 10 provided that the contract period has been in effect for at least 30 consecutive days.

In addition, interim teachers, drivers self-appointed by officers of Grade B and above, and Special Grade A and above who are eligible for drivers but are not provided drivers by their department and drivers self-appointed by administrative members, as well as judges and judicial commissioners are also eligible receive the payment.

In the meantime, the circular said aid payments for government retirees, including those who retire after reaching the option of retirement age or retire for health reasons, will be done by PSD while pensioned and non-pensioned veterans will be handled by the Department of Veterans Affairs (JHEV).

“Veterans who are re-appointed on permanent, temporary and COS appointments and are still serving on August 10, are eligible to be paid RM300 with a payment of RM200 by PSD or JHEV and the remaining RM100 paid by the department where the officer is serving,” he said, adding that the federal civil service officer who died on August 10 is also eligible to be given RM300.

However, the circular informs that the payment is not to be given to officers in the highest and equivalent management groups, including officers who are acting, borrowed or temporarily transferred and special placements to top job or special grades.

In addition, officers who were subject to disciplinary dismissal or demotion, service terminated in the public interest and resigned during the period from January 1 to August 10 as well as retired officers who gave up their pension rights from joining the separated statutory body are also not eligible to receive the payment.

Meanwhile, the postponement of the granting of the special aid will be applied to officers who have been arrested, suspended or a letter of charge has been issued by the disciplinary authority.

“Officers are only eligible to be paid after being acquitted of disciplinary charges or subjected to punishment other than dismissal or demoted by the relevant disciplinary authority and it will be paid on August 10 also by the department where the officer serves on the payment date.

Last Thursday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in his speech at the “Madani Economy: Empowering the People” launch, announced the special aid to civil servants and government retirees this year, which will benefit 1.3 million civil servants and more than a million retirees. – Bernama, August 2, 2023.