PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government’s decision to raise salaries for public servants, including judges, was driven by necessity rather than pressure from any quarters.
Speaking at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly assembly today, Anwar said the last annual salary adjustment for civil servants was at least a decade ago, while responsibilities have increased significantly since then.
“Some asked why the increase for judges is so steep at 30 per cent… it’s because there hasn’t been a review or annual increment since 2015,” he said, adding that prior salaries merely met basic family needs.
The pay hike, which will cost the government RM18 billion overall, is intended to ensure fairness and acknowledge the growing workload of civil servants.
Anwar also stressed that with higher salaries, public expectations for service efficiency have risen. He urged all top officials to ensure prompt, effective, and clean administration.
“As public servants’ pay rises, the public rightly expects faster, higher-quality service. We must fix delays, repetitive paperwork, and interdepartmental hurdles,” he said.
The Prime Minister further called for greater implementation of digital systems across government operations to save time and improve service quality, including the use of
AI for draft responses and online workflows, except where legal requirements apply.
-NewStraitsTime
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