Cuepacs: 200,000 is for 2020

By WANI MUTHIAH

KLANG: Cuepacs president Omar Osman reiterated yesterday that the country would need an additional 200,000 civil servants by 2020.

He said this was because the current number of 1.3 million government employees might be insufficient to meet the demands of a developed Malaysia.

“When the country attains developed status in 2020, new government agencies and ministries may be opened and there would be a need for additional manpower,” said Omar.
He was responding to the Government’s decision to shoot down Cuepacs’ earlier proposal that more civil servants be recruited.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn had said last Sunday that Cuepacs should concentrate on improving the delivery system with the current force rather than requesting more people to be recruited into the civil service.

Omar, who spoke to reporters after presiding over a special meeting with Selangor Cuepacs members held here, said Dr Fong might have misunderstood the union’s recommendation.
“I think the minister must have thought that we want all 200,000 people to be employed immediately,” he added.

“This is not the case as our recommendation is for them to be gradually recruited until 2020.”
The meeting was part of a roadshow organised by Cuepacs to explain the demand for a salary raise of between 10% and 40% as well as the union’s rejection of the proposed retirement fund to eventually replace the present pension scheme for civil servants.

According to Omar, it was also necessary to recruit more civil servants given the increase in the number of people retiring every year.

On Dr Fong’s call to the civil service to improve its delivery system, Omar said Malaysia’s civil servants were efficient and in top form.

“We have reached excellence with the training and courses provided,” he added.

On another matter, Omar said Cuepacs had also written to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to say it wanted to present him with a memorandum on the demand for a salary rise.