Raya bonus for govt staff?

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak needs to check the government's 'account book' to see if a Raya bonus for civil servants is possible.

PEKAN:  Bonus payment for civil servants in conjunction with the Aidilfitri will depend on the capability of the government to do so.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said that he would have to look at the ‘account book’ of the government first concerning the matter.

He disclosed this when asked to comment on the request for a bonus by the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) recently.

Cuepacs president Omar Osman had said on July 16 that the congress was looking for the best approach to ensure that the bonus paid to the 1.4 million civil servants would not result in certain parties taking the opportunity to raise the prices of goods.

Najib was approached after handing over cheques to Felda Phase 2 settlers and clothings to mosque officials as well as aprons to traders and spectacles to Pekan residents at the Pekan Umno Hall, here today.

In his speech, the Prime Minister reminded those who were dissatisfied with the government not to hinder efforts by the government to bring development to the country.

Citing the example of the listing of the Felda Global Ventures Holding (FGVH) shares on the stock exchange, he said those who had tried to obstruct the move had bad intentions because they did not like to see the government assisting the people in raising their income.

“Don’t obstruct government efforts to develop the country and the people, not supporting is alright…in this matter (FGVH listing) we cannot obstruct because it is a good thing and it is for the benefit of the people,” he said.

Speaking to reporters later, Najib said if the settlers wished to buy additional shares, they must buy the shares in the open market.

“Felda must assist the settlers to buy them in the open market at current prices…although the settlers were offered 800 units of the shares when they were launched, they would still receive the profits because 20 per cent of the FGVH shares had been put into a trust fund which would pay dividends to them every year,” he said.

Asked on the press reports about the preliminary list of Barisan Nasional candidates, of whom 50 per cent had been rejected, Najib said: “We have not finalised the candidates and we will finalise it when the time comes…so everything is speculative now.”

-Bernama