PUTRAJAYA, Dec 26 — Civil servants are reminded to not make unnecessary excessive or overlapping loans following salary increases under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA).

Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public Service (Cuepacs) secretary-general Abdul Rahman Mohd Nordin said the SSPA should not be an incentive or excuse for civil servants to increase loans, which will ultimately lead to a financial burden.

"If you really want to do it, it should only be for purposes that will make a profit in the future such as housing loans or children’s education. Not to buy a mobile phone and so on. The risk is that civil servants will not have money,” he said on Bernama TV’s Apa Khabar Malaysia programme today.

Under the SSPA, officers in the Implementing, Management and Professional groups will receive a phased salary adjustment of 15 per cent; eight per cent in phase 1 starting December this year, and seven per cent in phase 2 starting January 2026.

Meanwhile, the Top Management Group (MOHE) will receive a salary adjustment of seven per cent with four per cent for Phase 1 and three per cent for Phase 2.

Meanwhile, Abdul Rahman said the implementation of SSPA was timely as the salaries of civil servants had not been reviewed for almost 12 years while the cost of living had been increasing throughout the said period.

"When it is not checked, with the current economic situation, it is a burden and a burden on civil servants because the cost of living has increased to the point that it is not enough to spend on a house,” he said.

Asked about Cuepacs’ view of the 1,400 civil servants who chose not to accept the SSPA option, he said it was inevitable and Cuepacs respected the decision. — Bernama