PM PROMISES REVIEW OF SALARY SCHEME FOR MACC STAFF

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Tuesday night the government will review the salary scheme for officers and staff of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) who will be absorbed into the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which will be operational next month.

The Prime Minister said a committee headed by Minister in the Prime
Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz would discuss the claim
immediately to find ways of improving the salary scheme.

"Insya-Allah (God willing), the discussion will enable us to fulfil the
demand made (by the ACA)," he said in his speech at the ACA Annual Dinner 2008,
here Tuesday.

Abdullah conceded that the Members of Parliament had raised the matter when
debating the MACC Bill in the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House of Parliament) and
Senate and it was their wish that the remuneration paid to members of the MACC
would be increased.

Abdullah said the remuneration paid should be adequate to ensure that the
MACC machinery could discharge its responsibility without worrying about issues
concerning salary and allowance.

Earlier in his speech, ACA Director-General Ahmad Said Hamdan appealed to
the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision of the Public Service Department
(PSD) on the rate of emoluments and incentives offered to further inspire the
ACA staff.

He said a better salary scheme would be able to attract more professionals
to join the commission.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Said said the ACA had detained 585 people this year
including 271 government employees with regard to corrupt practices.

In addition, a total of RM44 million in bribes had been registered between
January and November this year while assets worth RM9.5 had been impounded.
(US$1=RM3.48)
-- BERNAMA