Photo: Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Be patient and wait for the results from the review on abolishment of the pension scheme for civil servants, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The Health Minister called on all quarters to stop having negative presumptions over the government’s proposal to abolish pension schemes for civil servants, especially those in the public healthcare sector.
Dzulkelfy said the results of the review on the new pension scheme system for the public service (SSPA) is expected to be revealed by year end.
“There is a review made on the impact of the pension scheme which will be announced soon.
“It is appropriate for us to wait instead of having negative presumptions (over the proposal) so we can really see the outcome of the survey,” he said in a reply to a supplementary question by Datuk Dr Alias Razak (PN-Kuala Nerus) in the Dewan Rakyat.
Earlier Dr Alias asked Dzulkefly to state the Health Ministry's short and long plans to keep personnel in the public healthcare sector following the proposed move to abolish the government's servant pension scheme from 2025.
Dzulkelfy said any purported "follow-up actions" to abolish the pension scheme starting 2025 was inaccurate since the SSPA is still ongoing.
In January, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the government’s intention to introduce a new civil service hiring policy incorporating a new pension scheme.
With this proposal, traditional pensions would be phased out in favour of increased contributions to retirement schemes like the Employees Provident Fund and the Social Security Organisation for new hires.
In a similar matter, Dzulkefly added that he is also focusing on strengthening the private-public partnership in the healthcare services.
He said with the collaboration, such instances where medical graduates were to leave the public healthcare system would not contribute to a big loss for the country.
“I have measures, such as national electronic medical records and financial reforms, which will be done by the ministry during this term for the benefit of the people," he said.
Zulkefly was responding to a supplementary question from Fong Kui Lun (PH-Bukit Bintang) who asked the number of medical officers who left government hospitals to join the private sector.
