JITRA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak gave a commitment on Labour Day to increase the strength of the civil servants now numbering about 1.5 million.
The prime minister said the government was not like the opposition which proposed to get rid of half of the civil servants or reduce the size of the civil service when in power.
"The government of today does not have any such proposals. We have to understand this...we are definitely considerate," he said when launching the Civil Service Labour day celebration at Wawasan Hall here.
However the government needed to consider numerous factors in meeting the requests of the civil servants based on the government's ability.
Civil servants here have much to applause when Najib announced that 1,000 affordable housing units would be built for them in Bukit Tinggi, Pokok Sena.
"We fully understand the need for the people to have their own affordable houses so that is why Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir have requested for an affordable housing project for the civil servants," said Najib in his speech during the celebration.
Najib also announced that 20 haemodialysis machines will be installed in the Alor Setar Hospital.
Mukhriz said he was delighted that the Prime Minister has mentioned about the housing project.
"This affordable units projects are especially good for the government servants who are of the lower class," he said.
"Plus, the location is good as it is not too far from Alor setar as well."