KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Service Department (JPA) will continue sponsoring students to pursue studies in medicine as long as there is a need for medical professionals in the country's healthcare service, says Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak, and Special Functions) said that the medical student sponsorship is also subject to the studies and projections made by the Health Ministry (MOH).
"The decision to continue sponsoring students in the field of healthcare, including dentistry and pharmacy, will be based on the projections submitted by the Health Ministry," he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2024 for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat Monday (Oct 30).
He also said that 13,659 civil servants have attended engagement sessions related to the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) study as of Oct 25.
He said to obtain civil servants’ input, six sessions were held involving service groups, ministries, and agencies, while ten sessions were held at the State Secretariat Office level in Penang, Terengganu, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Perak, Pahang, Perlis, Selangor, Melaka, and Kelantan.
As for the remaining three states, namely Sabah, Sarawak, and Johor, he said the engagement sessions are expected to be completed this year.
"As of Oct 25, a total of 40,422 respondents have submitted 97,706 proposals through the SSPA study portal. This means there is no such thing as selecting or sidelining specific states in this SSPA study. We will compile all of them," he said.
On the cash award in lieu of leave (GCR) which civil servants have yet to receive, Armizan said that applications should first be submitted to their respective ministries for internal control and preliminary screening before being extended to JPA for approval.
"The approval given is also subject to the ceiling limit allocation set for ministries by the Ministry of Finance. If there is any appeal, it can be submitted to JPA," he said.
He also informed that the government has agreed that from July to Dec 2023, the original pension amount (Categories A and B) will be supplemented with a special Appreciation Award to Retirees (PKKP) which covers retirees who retired before 2013 to allow the total pension received to be equal to the amount received in June 2023.
This follows the decision of the Federal Court to annul the amendment to Sections 3 and 7 of the Pension Adjustment (Amendment) Act 2013 which violated Article 147 of the Federal Constitution. - Bernama
