CUEPACS URGE M'SIAN GOVT TO RAISE RETIREMENT AGE OF CIVIL SERVANTS TO 60

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- Cuepacs, the umbrella union for civil
servants in the country, hopes the government will raise retirement age of the
1.2 million civil servants from 58 to 60, to keep up with countries in the
region.

Its president Omar Osman said Malaysia was still lagging behind neighbouring
countries where retirement age ranges from 60 to 62.

Omar said Cuepacs hopes Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who is
also the Finance Minister, would approve the proposal and announce it
during the tabling of the 2011 budget, next month.

"We have been pushing the proposal for many years. In 2006 we submitted a
memorandum on the matter but the government only agreed to raise it to 58
instead of 60 later.

"We hope the government can still consider this because it is an option and
not compulsory. When government increased it from 56 to 58, it was also an
option, not automatic," he told Bernama in an interview.

He said the government should raise the retirement age in line with the
practices of neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Singapore, Thailand
and Indonesia.

The retirement age for civil servants in Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia is
60 while in Singapore, it is 62.

Malaysia's retirement age which was increased from 56 to 58, took effect
since 2008.

Omar said even the local banking industry had recently agreed to raise the
retirement age of their employees from 55 to 57 and this proves that Malaysians
still can contribute productively to the country's economy even if retirement
age was raised to 60.

"New graduates or those who still have many years of service in the
government should not be worried about this. We have to adopt an open mentality
as it was an option and not compulsory," he added.

Omar said the expertise and experience of civil servants are still very much
in demand, and by raising the retirement age, it would be able to give an option
for those with experience to serve the country.

"We are not sure if the government will accept our suggestion but we hope
they will consider it and make the decision on the matter soon," he said.
-- BERNAMA