After a lapse of a decade, the civil service is bracing itself for a new pay raise. The prime minister has given his assurance.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had outlined the protocol for a salary review: once every 12 years, the last being in 2012, but somehow, no current review to work with.
Blame that on the previous administration, which should have committed a review in 2020, followed up in 2021 and implemented it last year.
Instead, Anwar framed a current review that'll take up six to eight months from this week, which should conclude by March next year.
Realistically, any pay raise will only arrive by June next year. In the meantime, the 1.7 million-strong civil service, and this includes politicians, and the military and security services still have it good — guaranteed jobs, salaries and perks, especially free medical aid and health services.
Additionally, a new Appreciation Special Aid of handy cash will be dispensed to 1.3 million civil servants, including contractual workers and a million pensioners.
In this inflationary times undergirded by decent economic growth, government employees' perks are a leg up to their non-government counterparts, who must raise bigger discretionary funds for out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Government hospitals, strained in but still dependable on invaluable medical personnel and resources, will be deluged.
Still, the nation will not begrudge the civil service's probable pay hike. All that is asked is that they perform their duties as per their charter, the general order: conscientiously, responsibly, competently and incorruptibly.
However, a complicated issue is implied in next year's pay raise: will an inflationary spike loom? It is common understanding: a civil service pay hike, no matter how negligible, still involves taxpayers' funds in the billions.
From Treasury coffers to the bank accounts of 1.7 million employees, fund movement of this magnitude can shudder market forces, the tendency being to tilt prices upwards.
As finance minister, Anwar must figure out a practical mechanism that soaks prices, at least to stay dormant, giving enough time for everyone to adapt to the new cost configurations.
A pragmatic idea floated and whose time has come: trim the 1.7 million force into something malleably resilient.
Though, naturally, government trade unions are resistant. The nation asks, no begs, for another simple favour: desist from corruption.
In year after year of sordid exposes, many civil servants, especially those in privileged positions, have been nicked in far too much jobbery, especially conspiracies with political bosses.
Pains have been and are being exercised to stop this debauchery, but the outcome is still unsatisfactory.
Read the swirling social media complaints. It's obvious that government checks and balances are vital and so is institutionalising reforms with clear top leadership mandate. Also, a broader assemblage of reformers unlimited to public and formal institutions must be deployed to maintain the reform agenda.
If these charter and reforms prove sustainable, then all that major pay hike will be worth the hefty price tag.