THE 15% salary hike for civil servants announced by the prime minister is insufficient to offset the effects of inflation. 

The last time the wages of the civil servants were revised was 12 years ago. The biggest hike they had received prior to this was 13%. This increment will cost the government more than RM10 billion a year. 

The government should consider increasing their salary by up to 25% to reduce the financial burden and stress of its workers.

The government should also take other steps to ease the stress of civil servants, such as raising their allowances, which are outdated and cannot meet today’s standards of living.  It is important to note that an increase in salary also means higher income tax. Employees will continue to struggle to make ends meet.

Higher salaries will leads to a rise in the prices of goods and services, rendering the increments meaningless. The government must act against anyone exploiting the higher purchasing power of civil servants afforded by the raise.

Our country has strong legislation to deal with profiteering. Profiteering means making excessive profits on goods or services. Laws to prevent unreasonably high profits for goods or services are the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 and the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Mechanism to Determine Unreasonably High Profit for Goods) Regulations 2018.  

The penalties imposed on sellers who commit profiteering offences are as follows: Where such person is a body corporate, he is liable to a fine not exceeding RM500,000 and, for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding RM1,000,000; or where such person is not a body corporate, he is liable to a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both, and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding RM250,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.

Leaders must stop politicking. The next general election is years away. Until then, all politicians need to set aside their political differences and work together for the sake of the country and the people. They must  improve our country’s economy and the lives of the people. 

People are fed up with political discussions. They are complaining about the high prices of goods and services. Our elected leaders must go out in the field to investigate these complaints. – May 3, 2024.

* Muzaffar Syah Mallow reads The Malaysian Insight.