Kota Kinabalu: The State Government on Tuesday announced a special allocation grant of RM100,000 that will be given every year to the Sabah Government Pensioners Association to facilitate the implementation of the association’s programmes and activities.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who announced this, said it was one of four new initiatives for pensioners as evidence of the Government’s concern for their wellbeing.
He said the three other initiatives include the additional Special Financial Assistance to pensioners amounting to RM150 which will be contributed to the i-Saraan account of the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF).
“The third initiative is that the State Government will approve an increase in the maximum amount of Rest Compensatory Leave (GCR) from 160 days to 180 days from next year, in line with the announcement made by the Prime Minister at the 18th Civil Service Premier Assembly (MAPPA XVIII).
“The fourth initiative is that the Government will provide offices for pensioners in a number of districts that will be identified,” he said at the 2022 Sabah Public Service Pensioners Appreciation Ceremony at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), here.
This was the first time such a ceremony was held on a large scale to celebrate a total of 1,167 pensioners from various grades who have retired from 2019 to 2021.
The Chief Minister said to safeguard the welfare of pensioners as an essential asset, the Government has improved medical treatment facilities which have also been extended for parents of pensioners and EPF scheme retirees through a circular dated Feb 15, 2021.
Hajiji said the calculation of retirement benefits for officers who retire due to health reasons has also been improved by adding the service period for retirement benefits via a signal for service periods of less than 359 months, through Sabah State Service Circular No. 5/2021.
He said the Government had also approved an increase in the maximum amount of GCR from 150 days to 160 days and the authorisation of early redemption of the GCR award of 80 days from January 2022.
“This increase in the maximum amount will benefit state civil servants who are about to retire. The increase in the maximum rate of GCR allows the leave to be saved for the purpose of cash awards which will increase the amount of cash received during retirement later,” he added.
Hajiji said being a government pensioner opens a new episode and chapter for pensioners to contribute in whatever way they can to the community by using their experience and knowledge while working in the public service.
According to him, for retirees who still have the energy and enthusiasm to continue to serve the Government and the people of Sabah, opportunities and space are always wide open to achieve success in whatever field they venture into.
He said the State Government will plan more initiatives to increase the involvement of government retirees who have skills and expertise in setting, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of State Government initiatives.
Therefore, he hoped that retirees who have left government service will continue to instil the spirit of love for the country and maintain the support and confidence of themselves and their family members in the leaders and the government of the day.
The Chief Minister said the State Government has launched the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya, the framework of the State’s main development plan, to support various sectoral development blueprints that will move in tandem with the national development agenda under the Shared Prosperity Vision (SPV) 2030.
“We want all parties to understand the direction of SMJ. The fact is, SMJ is our shared direction, just as the state coat of arms is the right and property of all Sabahans. I hope that civil service retirees also help to make this development agenda a success, especially by sharing in the form of skills and expertise,” said Hajiji.
He said thanks to the determination and consensus of all parties, the Government’s efforts have shown positive development and resulted in various significant achievements, citing that last year alone Sabah made new history with the highest revenue collection since independence amounting to RM5.449 billion.
“The State Government will continue to strive to ensure that this momentum can be maintained for the wellbeing of our beloved people.
“The Government is also in the final stages of finalising negotiations with the Federal Government regarding the review of special grants to the State of Sabah under Article 112(D) of the Federal Constitution. We are confident that this negotiation will be able to provide an increase in the amount of the special grants at a significant rate, thus helping to increase the State’s revenue.
“We also aim to increase State revenue by exploring new resources, investment initiatives and various other economic activities through payments such as taxes, land premiums and royalties. As I announced on October 11, depending on the movement of oil prices, Sabah can expect to collect royalties and SST payments from the oil and gas sector in the range of RM2.45 billion per year continuously,” he stressed.
On behalf of the State Government, Hajiji expressed his deepest appreciation and gratitude to all government pensioners who have devoted themselves to ensuring that the Government’s machinery moves effectively, implements policies and makes every government aspiration a success while still serving.
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