PUTRAJAYA: After 12 years, federal civil servants will now enjoy the long-awaited salary adjustment through the implementation of the revised Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA), which takes effect this month. In line with the introduction of the SSPA, civil servants have also been reminded to enhance the quality of their work, commitment, and dedication.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar emphasized the necessity for increased productivity among civil servants during the 2024 National Convention on Public Service Reform held on November 24. He stated that with the progressive salary system under the SSPA, there is no room for lazy, negligent, or careless civil servants, and no more excuses for staying stagnant without innovation, change, and improvement.

The new era of public service is reinforced and strengthened by the SSPA, which focuses on the welfare and wellbeing of civil servants while aiming to enhance the efficiency of pub
lic service delivery. Under the SSPA, officers in the Implementing, Management, and Professional groups will benefit from a phased salary adjustment of 15 per cent, with eight per cent in Phase 1 starting this December and seven per cent in Phase 2 starting January 2026. Meanwhile, the Top Management group will receive a salary adjustment of five per cent, with four per cent in Phase 1 and three per cent in Phase 2.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who announced the SSPA on August 16, highlighted that the last salary adjustment for civil servants occurred in 2012. The adjustment made through SSPA has taken into account a 21.3 per cent increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the past decade, particularly as the prices of basic necessities like food and beverages have risen by 24.8 per cent.

The SSPA, which replaces the Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM), is designed as a performance-based salary system, aiming not only to improve the income of civil servants but also to link salary increment
s with performance. Anwar, who also serves as the Minister of Finance, called on civil servants to enhance their performance in line with the salary increase associated with the SSPA. He stressed that excellent performance is essential as the public expects improved and higher-quality services from the public sector.

In a move to align with the Prime Minister’s vision for public service reform, the Kuala Lumpur Declaration – Tekad Bersama Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia was launched on November 23. This declaration symbolizes the unity of civil servants at both federal and state levels, pledging to elevate the dignity of a people-centric public service.