SANDAKAN: Sabah UMNO Information Chief Datuk Suhaimi Haji Nasir is in favour of the proposed elimination of the pension scheme for civil servants, particularly elected representatives.
Suhaimi expressed his support for the UMNO Youth’s proposal on this matter, which has received positive feedback from various parties, including himself.
According to him, it is unjust for civil servants, who typically serve for more than 30 years before becoming eligible for salary benefits, to be treated differently from elected representatives who only need to serve for 5 years to receive pensions.
He believes that the government should reassess the provision of pensions for elected representatives, especially considering the financial burden currently faced by the government.
Acknowledging the financial strain on the government, Suhaimi suggests that if the pension scheme is to be discontinued, it should only apply to political appointees who are eligible for such benefits.
In a statement, he views the government’s decision as biased and urges them to conduct a thorough review of the matter.
Additionally, Suhaimi, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Libaran, supports Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement regarding the cabinet’s decision to allow new civil servants with permanent status to no longer receive pensions but instead contribute to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and receive government contributions, similar to the private sector system.
By implementing this change, Suhaimi believes that the government can reduce the financial burden of the existing retirement system, which is projected to cost up to RM120 billion by 2040 for civil servant pensions alone.
He emphasises the importance of involving the representatives of the people in this new retirement system, as it will benefit both the government and civil servants.
