Pay salaries, no retrenchment, Sabah CM tells state GLCs

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has directed all its government-linked companies not to reduce or cut staff salaries as they go through the current business slowdown due to the movement control order (MCO).

“They should not have any pay cuts or any layoffs, ” said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

He said as business entities, many of the state-owned GLCs, were also affected by the MCO.

“I have told them to continue paying their staff and not to undertake any staff reduction exercises at this time, ” he said after receiving RM4.29mil from four GLCs for the State Covid-19 fund on Wednesday (April 22).

Last week, the state received RM11mil from 10 GLCs for the fund.

The state has some 221 GLCs with thousands of employees.

Mohd Shafie said state-owned GLCs involved in property development and supplying of cement were among those affected by the MCO.

On assistance due to the MCO, he said state civil servants below Grade 54 and daily-wage workers would receive a one-off payment of RM500 next month.

"The state has given out assistance to 358,031 people including the hardcore poor. So far, the state had spent RM71,420,880 in assistance both in cash and kind.

“Some of this aid has yet to reach the target groups, ” he said, adding that he ordered all government agencies to seek them out and provide assistance.

Mohd Shafie also said many might not be under the e-Kasih list and the government needed to identify them.

“We try to reach everyone who needs assistance during this period, ” he added.

Shafie also said there was no new positive Covid-19 cases in Sabah during the last 48 hours, which was a good sign, especially for a big state such as Sabah with its population spread out in many remote areas.

He said the state was also making efforts to get another 10,000 reagents for testing for Covid-19.