Control house prices, Govt urged

KUALA LUMPUR: Close to a million civil servants in the country do not own homes, Cuepacs president Datuk Azih Muda said.

He said 60% or 960,000 of the 1.6 million civil servants were unable to own their own homes.

“And the majority (75%) of them are aged 40 and below,” he added.

Azih said the Government should give extra attention to the home ownership issue among the civil servants.

“The Government must also play a role in controlling house prices and build more affordable homes. 

“Without Government intervention, the majority of civil servants will be unable to buy and own homes,” he said at a press conference after the launch of Cuepacs’ Labour Day celebration by Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor here.

The celebration titled “Workers Are Pillars of National Prosperity” was also attended by Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal and 1,000 civil servants from various departments and agencies. 

Later at another function at the Putra World Trade Centre, Azih said the Government was encouraging workers to upskill in specific fields so that they could get better, higher paying jobs. 

“The importance of skilled workers was highlighted in the industrial revolution that took place over 100 years ago in the Western world. 

“So, we should develop skilled workers. In turn, they can contribute towards producing highly skilled workers, who will be paid higher wages,” he told reporters after attending the national-level 2016 Labour Day Celebrations.

However, Azih hoped that the  Government could also control the price of goods to ensure that workers could afford to buy houses and cars as well as pay for their utilities and provide for their children’s education. 

“We ask the Government not to only focus on increasing salaries but to control prices as well,” he said.  — Bernama