The civil servants’ union has urged the government to raise hotel claim allowances for civil servants, saying current rates are no longer realistic due to higher lodging costs.
Cuepacs president Adnan Mat said the existing claim limits are based on a treasury circular issued 15 years ago, and no longer reflect the actual cost of hotel stays.
Many meetings or government programmes are held in Putrajaya where hotel costs are quite high, “especially for public servants coming from far away, like Terengganu and Kelantan,” he was quoted by Berita Harian as saying.
Adnan said the outdated rates mean many workers must top up their costs out of their own pockets.
He said the government should immediately review not only hotel allowances, but all other related claims, in the interest of workers’ welfare.
Adnan also asked for reforms to administrative assistant pay grades, saying the N1 to N4 grades should be abolished, with N5 becoming the new starting grade with salary at RM1,650, according to the public service department.
He said if that cannot be implemented, Cuepacs proposes a one-off cash payment for those stuck in the lower grades. Alternatively, assistants can remain at N1 but be automatically promoted to N5 after 15 years of service, followed by further promotions to grades N6, N7 and N8.
He said administrative assistants are the backbone of ministries and agencies, and their grievances must be heard and resolved.
