SERDANG, Oct 13 ― The government is not planning to extend the retirement age of civil servants beyond 60, said Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.

He stressed the current retirement age which was introduced in 2012 was sufficient for Malaysia and would be retained for a long time.

"For the civil service, 60 years is long enough,” he said in a CEO@Faculty Programme question-and-answer session held at Universiti Putra Malaysia here today, in response to a suggestion that the government extend the retirement age.

Ali said each year, between 20,000 to 25,000 civil servants would retire.                

"If the retirement age was extended from 60 to 62, it will mean that no one will retire in two years. So, there will be no vacant post for two years.

"However, this is not the main reason we do not want to extend the retirement age to 62 or 65. I feel 60 is already sufficient,” he added.

In 2001, the retirement age of civil servants was extended from 55 to 56; then in 2008, it was moved from 56 to 58; and in 2012, from 58 to 60.       

The Congress of Unions of Employees in Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) had recently proposed that the government extend the retirement age of civil servants as Malaysia was heading towards developed nation status.

Developed countries like Singapore, those in Europe, and America have extended the retirement age of civil servants to 65 years. ― Bernama