KUCHING: Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg will announce an across-the-board salary increase for Sarawak civil servants when he tables the 2025 state budget next month.
He said the civil service deserve the raise because they have worked hard and this resulted in an increase in the state's revenue.
"So, you just wait next month," he said at the Sarawak Civil Service Innovation Convention Awards presentation last night.
He said he made it very clear many times in the past that if the state's income increase, the state government will give it back to the people.
"I also need you people as well. Whenever you are given a budget to build a road, it must be completed according to schedule.
"If you are given a big budget to supply water and electricity to the people, it must be supplied to them on time," he stressed.
The premier said he is aware that the civil service is under pressure because when infrastructure projects are not completed according to schedule, the people will put the blame on the state government.
Abang Johari also said the state economy will be transformed into high technology starting from 2026 to 2030.
"As such, we will need to innovate, but maintain our direction and we have plenty of work to do.
"As such, I have asked the Sarawak government secretary Datuk Amar Abu Bakar Marzuki to restructure the state civil service."
He said one of the things that need to be looked into is pension for civil servants.
He said there is no need to solely depend on the pension fund for the retired state civil servants.
He said Sarawak should have its own system for the state civil servant retirees.
"Presently, the state government is conducting a study on whether we should have our own pension fund or to work with the Employees' Provident Fund."
Abang Johari said only then will civil servants have higher salaries than being offered to them.
He said at present, the state government cannot increase more than the maximum allowed in the salary structure because it is against the pension law.
"If we have an independent civil service, we will look for new ideas, then certainly your salary will be more competitive."
The premier said there is nothing wrong with paying better salary for the state's civil servants if it has the capacity.
He added besides skills and capacity building, there is a need to take care for the civil servant's wellbeing.
"With competitive salary structure, effective support and facilities for our civil servants, it will increase the productivity and improve their performance."
He said there is a need to enhance the civil servants with the skills and competencies in order to prepare them to be adaptable, agile and responsive.
"Ongoing training and development programmes are essential for equipping our civil servants with the necessary skills to implement innovative solutions and maintain high standards of service delivery."
Abang Johari said a culture of innovation is the main agenda in the transformation programme to improve the quality of services to the people.
"Such efforts need to be supported at all levels, especially by the top management. This will ensure that the value of creativity and innovation become the work culture and is not something that is seasonal."