Some catching up...

The People's Paper caught up with other media with page N21 today joining the rset of us at the Bar Counter, oops, Council story with this headline:

Review 1988 judicial crisis, Bar Council urges Govt

As they say, Better late than never!
Just don't make it a habit; otherwise, we may hear such nu'es from the nunnery instead of from the newsroom.


And another "government service" wing needs to do some Catch-Up.
While I can appreciate the Prime Minister's dilemma, there is no reason why the Government can not give the PDRM members an "interim pay rise", pending...


Frontpage of The Star, okay, I've got my attribution right right from the start! which translates iunto the medical fact that Desis's no more weary and feeling small...

Nation
Friday September 29, 2006

No pay rise

> Too expensive for
civil service

> Govt to consider salary
adjustments for cops


PUTRAJAYA: No salary revision for now.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Government was not prepared to consider the request for a salary revision for those in the support categories of the civil service and police personnel.

He said that if a salary review were done, it would involve the 1.1 million civil servants and 85,000 members of the police force, and this would cost an additional RM6bil.

“We have discussed their demands. At the moment, the Government is not ready to spend so much money. We need to take into account the government's finances because we need to spend money on development,” said Abdullah.

“The people need development. We cannot just say the Government does not have the money because it has gone to pay salaries,” he told a press conference after chairing a Cabinet committee meeting on posts and salaries of the civil service here yesterday. Also present was Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.

Abdullah acknowledged that for the police their basic salaries were low, but when their allowances were taken into consideration, the total amount was higher than the salaries of civil servants.

“The Government is aware of the increasing burden on the police force, so a salary adjustment is something we can consider,” he said.

Abdullah said that while a salary review was not carried out, the Government had made salary adjustments five times since 1992, including one up to 10% across the board.

The last adjustment was in 2002.

Apart from that, the Government had also given civil servants various types of allowances, including housing, critical and the cost of living allowance, and bonuses over the years.

“Taking all this into consideration, their salaries are quite high, although we have not implemented any salary review,” he said.
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DESIDERATA:

Just let me ask this question that I have been asking since time immemorial. Okay that's exaggerating a byte, since I had been writing on socio-political and civil issues from years back.

If the majority of people were all for giving the Police personnel a decent enough pay to cope with rising costs, also an important factor in the overall picture of Fighting Corruption, the country's Enemy Number 1 since the end of the Commie threat -- how come th Government is so slow to act?

No money?
But this is for a sub-section of the Government civil service numbering 85,000 members only (out of 1.1million). And universally it is acknowledged this branch of service deserves a higher salary than norm because the members sacrifice for the security of the country and safety of the people. Speaking as a tax-payer, I don't mind if the police and armed forces were paid TWICE THE BASIC AOUNT as their fellow civil servants in the other branches, so that they can be motivated to serve with a sense of dedication and sacrifice.

Now, let's see why is the Government citing "financial burden" as a factor holding back an immediate response to raise the PDRM salaries.

* Pak Lah said the Government need to "spend money on development". Hey, this is a necessary and factored in allocation in the country's Annual Budget, come every November for Bajet tabling, so it's not an extraordinary expense. (This September was exceptional I believe in that it had been brought forward.)

**I wonder where the extraordinary profits (hence extra taxes collected) from PETRONAS went to?
For financial year ended March 31, 2005 Petronas recorded NET PROFIT of RM35.6billion.
For FYE March 31, 2006 Petronas recorded NET PROFIT of RM43.6billion.

Everything being equal, if the national oil corporation could be asked to perform some National Service by sharing its profits, I think the ordinary folks don't mind if some of these profits are spent as some "bonus" payments -- like 2 months for starters? -- payable once every six months, say June and December 2005 and 2006 respectively, to the PDRM members.

*** As long as the lower ranked members of the PDRM are being stretched trying to eke out daily living from hand-to-mouth, I believe the Fight Against Corruption would be insurmountable. As the Government drags its feet in taking corrective action speedily, the cancer will grow and grow until it passes the point of no return. I believe the country is almost there. And it does not help in the process to realising the IPCMC, dear Mr Prime Minister, as you drag ytour feet. Time is not on your side.

WoW, I didn't realise I was so-energised writHing that post a day of weariness yesterday! -- a humble Malaysian writing an Advisory (yes, that's what they call IT in diplomatic parlance! and I tasted some 12 years plus of its cocktails circult; or is it ducktails?) "Wella, neber mine," as long as this Advisory reaches the ears of the Top Dog!:)