Special payment for civil servants to be paid out tomorrow

The special payment of RM500 tomorrow (Dec 18) will benefit 1.4 million civil servants employed by the federal government, comprising permanent and contract staff, said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.

"The government decided to make the payment before the end of the year to assist parents in the civil service in making preparations for their children's schooling needs for the new year,” he said in a statement today.

At the same time, he added, the government would also make a special payment of RM250 to almost 800,000 pensioners in recognition of their services.

In tabling the 2019 Budget on Nov 2, Lim had announced the special payment of RM500 to civil servants on Grade 54 and below and RM250 for government pensioners.

Meanwhile, Lim said although the special payment amounting to RM1 billion had not been allocated earlier in the 2018 Budget, the Pakatan Harapan government could still find the money through savings by implementing a clean and Efficient, Accountable and Transparent (CAT) administration.

-- Bernama