PENANG GOVT WILL LOOK INTO PAY HIKE FOR STATE CIVIL SERVANTS – CHOW

GEORGE TOWN, The Penang government will discuss the matter of salary increases for state civil servants at the upcoming State Executive Council meeting, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. He said the State Finance Department would first review and examine in detail the additional expenditure required if the state were to implement a salary increase, before making any decisions. "We need to consider the financial situation of each state. We need to allocate a budget if this is implemented at the state level. I believe it will be a challenge for some states to cover this additional expenditure," he said in a Facebook post today. Earlier today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a more than 13 percent salary increase for federal civil servants starting this December, involving an allocation of over RM10 billion. Anwar, who is also the Minister of Finance, said under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) currently under review, the government will ensure that the overall minimum wage f or civil servants exceeds RM2,000 per month. Meanwhile, in his message in conjunction with Labour Day, Chow said the state government would focus on efforts to make the Pearl of the Orient a destination for international trade, particularly in the electronics and semiconductor sectors, to create more job opportunities for young people. With a stronger track record in terms of policies and investment facilities, he is confident that the state, also known as the Silicon Valley of the East, will continue to have potential as a destination for high-quality and high-value investors. "According to the Labour Force Survey (STB) for the fourth quarter of 2023, Penang recorded an unemployment rate of two percent and a Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of 73.3 percent, proving that the people of this state are hardworking and optimistic about improving their standard of living," he said. In 2023, Penang recorded investment inflows of RM71.9 billion, the highest in Malaysia, in addition to facilitating investme nts of RM13.67 billion and creating more than 14,000 job opportunities through collaboration with the Federal Government and the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCIA). Source: BERNAMA News Agency