PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants have been told to increase their productivity following their salary review.
In his speech during the 19th Majlis Amanat Perdana Perkhidmatan Awam (MAPPA) here today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the increment would not benefit the country if civil servants were stuck in old habits.
"I hope that when the salary increase is announced later, a new (work) culture will be cultivated among civil servants," he said in his keynote address, adding that the increment would be meaningless "if people still have to wait for two hours to get their licences done and two weeks to get approval (in certain matters)".
Present were Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.
Anwar said the country would not be able to achieve its reform targets if it remained stuck in outdated practices with guidelines that are not aligned with current needs.
"Regulations, circulars and guidelines are crucial in government affairs to ensure good governance in all matters."
However, he said burdensome regulations led to bureaucratic inefficiencies, such as excessive procedures, lengthy processing times, a lack of transparency and high compliance costs.
"Hence, the government is committed to reform efforts to simplify business processes, enhance productivity and improve Malaysia's competitiveness to rank among the Top 12 (most competitive countries), in line with the Madani Economy goals."
Anwar announced that civil servants in the implementing and professional group will receive a 15 per cent salary increment, while those in top management and professional roles will see an increase of seven per cent increase.
He added that the increment would be implemented in two phases: the first phase in December this year and the second phase in January 2026 due to the challenging economic situation.