Hard-pressed: ministers’ aides say they’ve not been paid for months

 

Press secretaries to several ministers say they are still waiting for their letters of appointment to be signed by the prime minister. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Press secretaries to several ministers have complained they have yet to be paid, despite being on the job for the past several months since the unity government took office.

Some of them say they are in the dark over the delay in payment.

Three press secretaries who spoke anonymously to FMT said they could not carry on much longer without salaries and might have to resign.

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One said they were tempted to leave for a corporate job which offered higher pay but did not want to “leave my minister half way”.

Another who has been on the job for six months said fellow aides had not been paid a “single sen this year”.

“I only get allowances for when I travel. Otherwise I am living on my savings which I think can only last up to the end of the year. I really enjoy working in the ministry but I don’t think I can go any longer than December if there isn’t any pay,” said the aide.

The aide said the press secretaries had been informed that the salary delay was because the prime minister had yet to sign their letters of appointment.

Ministry officials had shown them the paperwork to prove that officials were working to get their salaries paid, and were only waiting for Anwar Ibrahim to sign the letters.

“I have no idea why there is a delay. I don’t even know how much I am going to get paid,” the source said, adding even the minister is unsure how much they will receive.

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Another press secretary said they had written to the Public Services Department through the minister’s senior private secretary but had yet to be told of any response.

FMT is seeking comment from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Public Services Department.

According to the source, the problem of not being paid did not only affect press secretaries, but other officers in some ministries as well.

Another press secretary said they were not paid their salaries and a special allowance since last year, and had received only travel allowances.

The problem of government officials not being paid was once highlighted in 2018 when the prime minister then, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said some officials had gone without a salary for four months. - FMT