Don’t like the government’s proposed pension payments for civilian workers? Take it to parliament, says health minister

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 26 — Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said skeptics of the government’s plan to scrap pension payments for new public sector entrants will be given an opportunity to debate the matter in Parliament.

Stressing the importance of open dialogue, he said parliament was the right place for discussion because the responsible minister could respond there.

“We can discuss this issue in parliament. The relevant minister must respond, supporters of the government can raise this issue as well as the opposition,” he told reporters today after his speech on the 2024 mandate at the Ministry of Health.

He stressed that differences of opinion on this matter should not be viewed negatively, as constructive discussions are part of the democratic process.

He also appreciated the value of suggestions and recognized the right of every individual to express his or her opinion on government policy.

“This should not be seen as something negative or unfavorable as people who contribute to the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) can get significant gains,” he added.

When asked about the potential impact of the new pension system on the Ministry of Health, he stated that the outflow rate of medical staff has decreased.

Comparing the current numbers to previous years, he noted a significant decrease in attrition, indicating that doctors felt more comfortable with the current arrangement.

“If we compare with previous years, the attrition rate has gone down. I think they are more comfortable with the current arrangement. From 2023 to this year, we have made over 6,300 permanent offers,” he said.

On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced a new civil service employment policy, including: introduction of a new pension system.

He added that under the policy, new civil servants will contribute to pension schemes such as the EPF and the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso), which is in line with a wider initiative to phase out traditional pensions.

However, the proposal was met with criticism from the Congress of Unions of Public and Civil Service Employees (Cuepacs) and political groups such as Umno and the MCA youth wing.

Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh suggested that the pension elimination should start with members of parliament and state assembly, arguing that while recognising the financial burden on the government, it would be unfair to eliminate pensions only for public sector employees.