PUTRAJAYA, Aug 30 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today announced extra income for all civil servants and pensioners from January next year.

He said civil servants will receive an additional RM100 on top of their yearly standard rate increments as well as RM700 in a special financial aid while retirees and military veterans will be given RM350 in January.

“A total of 1.28 million civil servants will receive this benefit,” he said in his speech during a special briefing with the government servants at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here this morning.

He added that the cash aid to the civil servants and pensioners total RM1.5 billion.

In front of approximately 5,000 government servants, he said the additional RM100 annual increment will benefit some 1.28 million public between Grades 11 and 56.

“For instance, if the annual increment for Grade 11 is RM80, then for 2023, they will get a base RM80 increment and a special RM100 addition, bringing the total to RM180,” he said to cheers and applause from the crowd.

Apart from the monetary incentives, Ismail Sabri also announced that some 500,000 teachers nationwide with more than 10 years of service will gain five days of special leave for a total of 15.

Ismail Sabri also said that civil servants may noe apply for unrecorded leave for the deaths of their siblings and grandparents, which was previously only allowed for closest relatives.

The prime minister also announced that the maximum amount of leave that can be accumulated for the purpose of cash award (GCR) will go from 160 days to 180 days.

“The government understands that with the increasing and challenging workload, many members of the civil service are unable to utilise their annual leave.

“With this increase in the maximum rate of GCR, allowing the leave to be saved for the purpose of cash award at the time of retirement as well as increasing the cash in hand on the day of retirement later,” he added.

Previously, the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) said it hoped that Ismail Sabri will announce good news for civil servants, especially on the remuneration system.

Cuepacs president Datuk Adnan Mat said the congress hoped the government could implement a more effective remuneration system that is more comprehensive, fair and equitable for civil servants in the country.