JOHOR BARU: Thousands of state civil servants who stand to pocket a two-month salary windfall next month have been reminded to spend wisely and save a part of it.
In making the call, Johor state secretary Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman also advised them to use the payout to reduce their debts wherever possible.
He said the civil service was grateful to Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi who announced the special incentive when unveiling the state’s Budget 2026 on Thursday, saying the workers should reciprocate with better work ethics.
Asman also expressed his gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim for their guidance.
“This incentive is in appreciation of our sacrifices in managing floods, disease outbreaks and also driving projects and serving Johoreans,” he said yesterday.
Asman also urged the civil servants to take advantage of the opportunities announced in the budget mainly on training, scholarships, health and well-being programmes.
“You need to continuously upgrade yourselves to stay relevant in a changing world,” he said, adding that the civil service remained the backbone in development especially in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
In his budget speech, Onn Hafiz announced goodies for both state and federal civil servants.
State civil servants will get their windfall equivalent to two months’ salary in December.
The 140,185 federal officers serving in Johor will get a one-off payment of RM500 each.
Onn Hafiz said RM70.1mil had been allocated for this special incentive.
He said the state Budget 2026 sent a clear message that Johor was fiscally strong to protect the people’s welfare and drive further growth.
Asman said presenting the state’s biggest budget in history was no easy feat as it involved months of preparations, including setting policy direction and having engagement sessions with departments, local authorities and agencies.
He said besides civil servants, the state also received feedback from youth groups, industry players in key sectors such as JS-SEZ, NGOs, community leaders and elected representatives.
“Most of their concerns were on the rising cost of living, job opportunities, rural development and public service delivery,” he added.
