Bonus for ‘clean’ staff only

The Star

PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants who have been suspended or have accusations levelled against them will not get their bonus just yet.

Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam said these officers would have to wait until they have been cleared or dealt with by the disciplinary committee.

“They will be eligible for bonus if the disciplinary committee subsequently decides to give them a warning for misconduct.

“However, they will not be eligible to receive the bonus if they face other discplinary action besides receiving a stern warning from the committee,” he said in a circular dated Sept 9.

Ismail said other civil servants not eligible for the bonus payment included those taking unpaid leave or seconded to international bodies or private companies for the whole of the year.

“Those civil servants working in agencies whose salaries come under different management will also not be eligible,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced in Budget 2009 a bonus of one month salary for civil servants, subject to a minimum of RM1,000, to be paid in two instalments.

The bonus payment to 1.2 million civil servants is expected to cost the Government some RM1.5bil.

Ismail said the bonus payments would be based on August salaries.

Civil servants appointed this year and those who retire or resign this year would be paid proportionately, he said.

On another matter, the Defence Ministry said retired servicemen who had previously served at least 21 years would now be eligible to receive pensions of not less than RM720 per month.

In a statement, the ministry said the decision to include these retired personnel among those qualified to receive the RM720 pension payment announced under the Budget was made in a Cabinet Committee on Civil Service Appointments and Salaries meeting on Tuesday.

The Budget had stated that retired personnel who had served more than 25 years would be entitled to the pension beginning Jan 1.

The ministry said the decision to include the retired personnel serving at least 21 years in the group was to honour their contribution and to help pensioners with low incomes to face the rising cost of living.