Opinion | Conduct due diligence on pension scheme
“The process should be executed meticulously, avoiding haste and ensuring careful consideration rather than being adopted in a rushed or haphazard manner.
ANY major changes to the civil servants’ pension scheme, salaries and contracts should be done after proper consultation. Conducting thorough due diligence on pension scheme modifications is imperative for fostering transparency and obtaining stakeholder support.
The announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi regarding the exclusion of new civil servants from the pension scheme in favour of contributions to the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) has created some confusion among various stakeholders.
Memento Maxima Digital MarketingHowever, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim clarified that the policy change is still in the proposal stage.
Before making any official announcements, it is essential for the government to conduct thorough consultations with stakeholders for a policy change of such significance.
The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services and the National Union of Teaching Profession are prominent stakeholders that must be involved in the decision-making process to ensure a smooth transition.
Among the issues requiring detailed discussions are:
1. Ongoing salary revision for existing civil servants:
Delve into the existing salary revision scheme, including benefits and allowances for current civil servants.
2. Proposed salary scheme for EPF and long-term employment:
Outline the salary structure for individuals under the proposed new EPF and long-term employment scheme.
Emphasise the importance of announcing this alongside the revision in the salary scheme for current civil servants for comparison.
3. Promotion transparency at all levels, especially for administration and diplomatic officers/management:
Scrutinise the process and transparency of promotions across all levels, with a special focus on the administration and diplomatic officers/management tier.
4. Talent development and upskilling:
Address the need for talent development and upskilling initiatives among civil servants.
Advocate for opportunities for non-degree civil servants to enhance their qualifications and improve promotion prospects.
Propose funding for administration and diplomatic officers/management staff to pursue Masters and PhD programmes to upskill themselves.
5. Human resource challenges:
Explore human resource challenges, with a specific focus on transfer requests, especially for teachers.
6. Financial implications of policy changes:
Examine the overall financial implications of the proposed policy changes.
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Emphasise the importance of providing assurance to financial markets that these changes will not adversely impact government spending in the long-term.
Before making any announcements, it is essential to create a comprehensive communication plan that secures public support from relevant stakeholders. This precautionary measure aims to prevent the potential distortion of policy changes for inaccurate attacks on the government.
While deliberating on the revision of employment terms for new batches of civil servants, emphasise a systematic and well-planned approach.
The process should be executed meticulously, avoiding haste and ensuring careful consideration rather than being adopted in a rushed or haphazard manner.
This well-thought strategy is imperative to navigate potential challenges and to promote a positive reception to the proposed policy changes.
The writer is the former MP for Bangi. Comments: [email protected]
