KUALA LUMPUR: The review of civil servants' salaries may take up to six and eight months, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the review of civil servants' salaries was last made in 2012. As such, it was his responsibility as the current country's prime minister to initiate another review for the purpose.
"By right, a review on the matter is needed every 12 years, with the last being in 2012. However, there was no committee (to review the civil servants' salaries)... and it is now already 2023.
"We should have started it in 2020, followed by a decision in 2021 and implemented it in 2022," he said, according to an online portal FMT.
Anwar said this in his speech during the Negri Sembilan teachers' appreciation event held at Seremban City Council Hall.
Last Sunday, Anwar said he would be chairing the first meeting to review civil servants' salaries next week.
In the meantime, he said the increase in civil servants' salaries depends on the country's revenue, which according to him is better than the initial projection.
"The more people pay taxes, the more 'tauke paying taxes (Lebih banyak orang bayar cukai, lebih banyak tauke besar bayar cukai)," he said.
Meanwhile, in another development, Anwar said the issues involving problematic teachers does not reflect the entire teaching institution in the country.
He said there were hundreds of thousands of teachers who were doing their job well.
As such, Anwar said fair coverage, especially by the media, is needed to highlight teachers who have performed well and should be given due appreciation.
"Sometimes, in the media and social media, there are indeed one or two teachers among others that are fierce, causing students to be afraid to go to school or rough teachers, but that does not represent the rest of them.
"That's why I must emphasise that the media coverage should be fair, with the majority of the teachers being meritorious. From my experience, all my teachers from Standard One to Form Six to Universiti Malaya, maybe there were one or two that were problematic, but the rest were good.
"Their services were exemplary and that is why an appreciation ceremony like this should be held to remind not only the teachers but also the parents," he said.
Present at the event was Negri Sembilan caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.