KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — The government has decided the July pension and derivative pension for civil servants who retired before and from 2013 onwards be paid using the original pension amount.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this is following a Federal Court decision, which will involve pension payments for civil servants who retired before 2013 to be reverted to the December 2012 amount, while those who retired from 2013 onwards will have their pension payments reverted to the original amount at the time of their retirement.
He said the difference between the current pension amount and the original figure will continue to be paid in the form of a special aid known as Special Recognition for Retirees (PKKP), to enable the amount received by pensioners to be the same as the one received in June 2023.
“The government always appreciates public service pensioners’ contributions and is concerned for their welfare in the current situation.
“Therefore, the government will also study the civil service salary revision which also covers the pension of retirees,” Anwar said in a statement today.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the pension adjustments will be implemented according to the stipulated percentage increase in line with the Pensions Adjustment Act 1980 (Act 238).
The Cabinet’s decision today was made after the Federal Court on June 27 affirmed a Court of Appeal’s decision that Section 3 and Section 7 of the Pensions Adjustment (Amendment) Act 2013 were null and void as they contravened Article 147 of the Federal Constitution (which provide for the protection of pension rights).
In view of this, he hopes the government’s decision will have a positive impact on civil servants and retirees.
In the Federal Court ruling, Justice Mohamad Zabidin said the amendments in 2013 that introduced a new pension scheme, which allows a two per cent increment annually, are less favourable to pensioners and unconstitutional.
On July 6, Anwar was reported to have said the government will announce special mechanisms related to civil service pensions, following the decision by the Federal Court that the existing laws contravened the Federal Constitution.
Previously, the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) requested the Public Service Department (PSD) to not withdraw the two per cent annual increment that was implemented 10 years ago, because most of those who benefitted from the previous scheme were from the M40 and B40 groups.
— Bernama
