Syabas..

PAY RISE FOR COPS


SEREMBAN: Policemen from the rank of sergeants and above will get a rise in salary and allowances under a new pay scheme.

The new pay and incentives come three years after they were recommended by the Royal Commission to improve the police force.

The biggest gainers will be new inspectors who will get a starting salary of RM2,060 compared to RM1,492 previously. Diploma and STPM holders will also be allowed to join the force directly as sergeants and they will start with a basic salary of RM1,500. A sergeant’s basic salary previously was RM890.

The new scheme has been approved by the Public Service Department following recommendations made by the Royal Commission on the Enhancement of the Management and Operations of the Police.

Sources said new inspectors would have a take home pay of more than RM3,000 which included a special incentive of RM200, cost of living allowance of RM100 to RM200, and a housing allowance of RM420.

They said police inspectors had now been moved to the Professional and Management Group as they were now required to be degree holders.

Policemen will also have another reason to cheer as they will be paid arrears backdated to Jan 1, 2009. Other senior officers will also enjoy increases of between 4% and 8% of their current basic salary and civil service allowance.

“Senior police officers will get one jump in their salaries to the new scheme. This will be from RM200 to RM600,” he said.

The civil service allowance of officers with the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and Superintendents will be increased by RM50.

Sources said the ranks of Senior Assistant Commissioner I and II (SAC I and SAC II) have also been abolished and replaced with just SAC. Also abolished is the post of chief inspector.

This means that an inspector can be promoted to the rank of an ASP after passing the relevant examinations.

Citing an example, he said corporals who passed their Efficiency Level Assessment examinations were being paid higher than sergeants who did not pass theirs.

“We cannot have a situation where a lower ranking officer earns more than his superior. That is one reason why the changes were done to the matrix salary system,” he said.

In 2007, the Government increased the salaries of police and military personnel by 9% to 42%. The current increase of salary and incentives is to further enhance the operations and management of the police force.

In an immediate response, Cuepacs president Omar Osman said the Public Service Department must ensure it did not jeopardise the chances of non-officers to be promoted to officers.

“There are some 200 Customs non-officers who have not been promoted to officer level although they have recognised degrees.

“We hope the department will spell out exactly what are the chances of those in the lower rung to be promoted to the Top Professional and management Group once they get their tertiary education. Then it will be a level playing field,” he said.

The Star,1 February 2010

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