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biruhijauemasmerah

Article available only in English.

The Public Service Department (PSD) refers to the letter "Injustice In the SBPA Scheme" by  Disappointed Medical Consultants, Penang Hospital as published in The Star on 27 December 2011.

We wish to clarify that the SBPA scheme addresses the long drawn issue of senior officers sitting on the maximum scale in Grade 54 by enhancing the salary scale for that grade and providing room for no less than ten annual increments for those currently on the maximum scale. The minimum salary point in the scale is also enhanced in recognition of the critical role played by those in this grade as heads of units or departments. However, the principle of conversion from the earlier scheme to the new scheme is by awarding one annual increment in the earlier scheme, followed by the adjustment to the closest salary point scale in the new scheme.

This resulted in almost the entire older salary scale being bracketed into the first salary scale in the new scheme. Such principle of bracketing has been used in the past when converting from one salary structure to a new one. It has to be understood that the SBPA is not a salary adjustment exercise but a salary restructuring exercise towards the set target of achieving USD15,000 per capita income by 2020. Thus, it is not possible to give an equitable increment in salary conversion as there are significant variations between the new and old salary structure for all schemes of service. Nevertheless, the PSD is currently looking into some ways to overcome this bottleneck and resolve the matter so that those who are more senior will receive an appropriate conversion.

PSD hopes that this does not become a reason for those in Grade 54 not opting into the new scheme, as those who do not opt will remain in the SSM scheme and will not be entitled to the appropriate new conversion principle when it is introduced. They will also be deprived of the yearly salary increment which they have not benefitted for a number of years as well as increase in the annual increment rate which ranges from about RM250.00 to RM320.00 under the SBPA. With regard to the percentage of increment of at least between 7 to 13 percent that was announced in the 2012 budget, PSD wishes to clarify that this must include the new annual increment rate for the year 2012 under the SBPA scheme.

Corporate Communications Unit
Public Service Department Malaysia
29 December 2011