KUALA LUMPUR: The government will be giving a special appreciation aid of RM300 to civil servants of Grade 56 and below, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today.

He also announced a similar aid of RM200 to retirees, including those currently receiving their pensions including pension recipients issued under the pension law, EPF retirees who retire from public service, as well as pensionable and non-pensionable veterans.

“This aid will benefit 1.3 million civil servants, including contract appointments, and over a million retirees.

“With this special aid, we hope civil servants will continue to work diligently in supporting the government’s aspirations of implementing reforms,” he said when launching the “Madani Economy: Empowering the People” initiative here today.

Anwar said the payment of this aid is expected to be made within two weeks from now.

He said the announcement on the special aid is made while the review of the civil servants’ salaries and allowances is being done.

Present at the launch were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil, Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.

The Prime Minister said the government remains committed to streamlining the remuneration for civil servants, taking into account its financial means.

“Under the Madani Economy initiative, we strive to provide the best services possible and assist the government’s fiscal policies in making the streamlining of the civil servants’ salaries a reality,” he said.

On July 13, the Prime Minister said that the civil servants’ remuneration will be streamlined in phases based on the  government’s financial capacity and that the matter would be proposed to Mohd Zuki and Public Services Department Director-General Datuk Dr. Zulkapli Mohamad before the state elections on August 12. 

Anwar also announced RM100 e-cash credit to all adult Malaysians with an income of RM100,000 per annum and below, based on the earlier success and significant impact of the program on the people.

He said it was estimated that more than ten million people in the B40 and M40 groups are eligible for the funds amounting to about RM1 billion.