KUCHING, Feb 6 — Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg tonight said low pay deterred Chinese youth with Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) from applying for jobs in the state civil service.

He said they would join if the offer, in terms of remuneration, was high, despite the state government’s recognition of the UEC.

“You ask (Deputy Premier) Datuk Dr Sim (Kui Hian). It is hard to promote, asking them to join, because the pay is low,” he said during the annual dinner of the Federation of Chinese Associations of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions.

Abang Johari said this is one of the problems that the state government will have to solve to attract more Chinese youth to state civil service jobs.

He said the state government will come up with its own scheme for the state civil service that proposes to offer high salaries.

“We are working on it now. The current salaries are too low,” he said, adding that high salaries will attract experts to the civil service.

Abang Johari said a hire and fire policy will be incorporated into the proposed salary scheme that the state government is working on now.

He said the policy cannot be implemented under the pension scheme that is being used in the state civil service.

“If we cannot fire people, we will have deadwood in our civil service. Once you have deadwood, the country will not be able to move forward.