Budget 2017 to give more opportunities to civil servants

Budget 2017 tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday has been described as a budget for the wellbeing of the people as well as to raise the potential of civil servants.

National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) president, Kamarozaman Abd Razak said civil servants especially the support group would benefit most from the budget.

"The government's decision to extend fully paid study leave for the support group will greatly benefit members who have been facing financial constraints to further their studies," he said when contacted by Bernama.

In tabling the budget at Dewan Rakyat, the prime minister announced that fully paid study leave would be extended to the support group.

The facility was earlier limited to the management and professional group which is from Grade 41 and above.

On the selling price of 1Malaysia Civil Servant Housing at 20 per cent below market price, he said the move would make the price of houses more affordable.

"With this measure, it would be easier for civil servants to receive housing loans. Even though the government raised the loan limit, it will not bring any changes if the price of houses continues to rise.

He also welcomed the government's move to extend the service of contract officers by one year as it would ease the worry of these officers who had yet to find jobs.

Meanwhile, Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president, Datuk Azih Muda said the government had for the first time met the Cuepacs demand to give the support group more opportunities.

"Cuepacs has been proposing to the government to give fully paid study leave with scholarship to the support group and it was accepted in this budget."

The government's move to raise the housing loan limit of civil servants from RM120,000 to RM200,000 and from RM600,000 to RM750,000 is appropriate as civil servants would now have the chance to regain their eligibility to buy houses.

Azih hopes that heads of departments in the civil service would not make decision outside of the Prime Minister's announcement to extend the service of contract officers by one year. -- BERNAMA

ASEAN gesa patuhi konsensus lima perkara

Negara-negara anggota ASEAN menzahirkan kebimbangan terhadap ketegangan yang berlaku di Myawaddy, Kayin State yang terletak di sempadan Myanmar-Thailand, serta di Rakhine State, Myanmar.
ASEAN berkata, ia ingin menegaskan semula komitmen untuk membantu Myanmar mencari penyelesaian dengan mewujudkan persekitaran kondusif melalu pelaksanaan penuh Konsensus Lima Perkara yang dipersetujui sebelum ini.

Setiap parti politik ada kaedah sendiri – Zahid

Setiap parti politik di dalam Kerajaan Perpaduan mempunyai kaedah sendiri untuk membantu memenangkan calon mereka pada Pilihan Raya Kecil Kuala Kubu Bharu, bulan depan.

Pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas laporan mengenai kenyataan MCA tidak akan berkempen pada PRK itu.

Masih setia dengan UMNO, kritikan hanya untuk beri semangat

Ahli Majlis Kerja Tertinggi (MKT) UMNO, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz menegaskan beliau masih setia bersama parti itu meskipun ada mengkritik kepemimpinan UMNO Selangor sebelum ini.

Bekas Bendahari UMNO Selangor itu berkata, kritikan yang dibuatnya sebelum ini adalah berbentuk konstruktif dan hanya ingin membakar semangat parti itu.

Titah Addendum: Anwar enggan terlibat, itu bidang kuasa Lembaga Pengampunan dan YDP Agong

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tidak mahu terlibat dengan perbincangan membabitkan titah tambahan berhubung tahanan di rumah membabitkan bekas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Anwar berkata, ini kerana perkara itu merupakan di bawah bidang kuasa Lembaga Pengampunan Wilayah Persekutuan dan juga melibatkan Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Raja-Raja Melayu.

Giat Mara Bagan Datuk naik taraf jadi kampus MCI

Giat Mara Bagan Datuk telah dinaik taraf menjadi kampus Malaysia-China Institute (MCI) bagi melatih pelajar tempatan di dalam bidang Latihan Teknikal Dan Vokasional Malaysia (TVET) sebelum di hantar ke China.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berkata, sejajar dengan itu, keluasan institusi berkenaan serta fasiliti akan ditambah.