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PETALING JAYA: Cuepacs, the umbrella union for civil servants, wants the Government to quickly standardise the cost of living allowance (Cola) to RM300 nationwide to help ease their burden.
Its president Azih Muda hoped that a decision would be made before the civil servants assembly on June 10.
Civil servants, he said, were currently receiving Cola of between RM150 and RM300 depending on their location.
“For example, in Penang island the Cola is RM300 but in Seberang Prai it is RM250. In Alor Setar it is RM250, but in Kubang Pasu it is RM150 although it is nearby.
“We hope the Government will seriously consider our request soon as we do not want workers to be left out or feel neglected.
“Having a standardised Cola will definitely help ease the burden of civil servants especially given the high cost of living,” he said.
Azih also called on the Government to build more affordable houses for civil servants, especially those below RM150,000.
On the recent Government Transformation Programme’s 104% success rate on initial targets, Azih said it indirectly showed that the planning and productivity of civil servants was on the rise.
“It also indirectly shows that the performance of civil servants is increasing in line with the Government’s targets,” he said, adding that more innovation-related training should be given to civil servants.
Azih also lauded Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam’s call for more government hospitals nationwide to have transit lounges to help overcome the shortage of beds while providing patients with a place to wait after being discharged.
Source: The Star
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