Cuepacs welcomes S’wak govt proposal to merge water authorities

 Borneo Post
20 Oktober 2022

SIBU (Oct 20): Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) welcomes the Sarawak government’s proposal to merge the four water supply authorities in the state into one to be known as Sarawak Water Board (SWB).

Its president Dato Adnan Mat said the merger would make the water board more competitive in providing services to the people.

“Also, the welfare of the staff will remain a priority for the government,” he said in a statement.

Adnan was commenting on the rumours that Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB), Kuching Water Board (KWB), Sibu Water Board (SWB) and Laku Management Sdn Bhd (Laku) would be privatised.

The initial move raised concern among the workers about their fate if the privatisation exercise were to go ahead, especially in terms of their welfare and job security.

In the event that privatisation is to go ahead,  Adnan said the existing benefits of the staff would be reduced and there might also be job reduction.

‘It is also feared that full privatisation would increase the water tariff in the future especially when privatisation is all about making profit,” he added.

As such, Adnan commended the state government for making the timely decision to merge the four main water supply authorities under one entity.

“We are also grateful to Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and his government for always willing to accept Cuepacs’s views in every negotiation including this water issue,” he said.

Segera cari mekanisme penyelesaian gaji penjawat awam – CUEPACS

 MalaysiaGazette

4 oktober 2022

KUALA LUMPUR – Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Di Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) menggesa Kerajaan Negeri dan Persekutuan bersama-sama mencari mekanisme penyelesaian segera berkaitan isu gaji penjawat awam yang dilihat tidak memadai dengan persekitaran semasa ekonomi ketika ini.

Presidennya, Adnan Mat berkata, CUEPACS menyokong sepenuhnya komitmen Kerajaan Negeri Sarawak di bawah kepimpinan Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg yang sedang mengkaji beberapa mekanisme bagi memastikan penjawat awam di negeri itu menerima kebajikan kewangan yang lebih baik.

Menurutnya, usaha ini sewajarnya diikuti oleh kerajaan-kerajaan negeri yang lain dengan Kerajaan Persekutuan perlu bertindak sebagai penyelaras.

”CUEPACS yakin penglibatan yang serius di peringkat negeri dan persekutuan mampu mencari mekanisme berkesan bagi menyelesaikan permasalahan gaji penjawat awam supaya lebih ‘mesra’ dengan persekitaran ekonomi semasa negara,” katanya dalam kenyataan di sini.

Tambah Adnan, hasrat ini jugalah yang diperjuangkan oleh CUEPACS supaya kerajaan memberikan keutamaan untuk menyemak semula gaji dan elaun yang diterima oleh penjawat awam pada masa kini dalam menangani kesan perubahan kenaikan harga barangan.

Ketika ini sektor swasta telah melaksanakan gaji minimum RM1,500 berkuatkuasa 1 Mei lalu dan ia wajar diikuti sektor awam bagi mengimbangi keperluan semasa penjawat awam.

Lagipun, situasi ekonomi semasa yang menyaksikan peningkatan harga rumah serta kejatuhan mata wang memerlukan penetapan gaji minimum baharu diatas pendapatan garis kemiskinan (PGK).

Jelas beliau, CUEPACS yakin penetapan gaji minimum baharu untuk sektor awam dengan diikuti latihan dan pembangunan mampu meningkatkan kecekapan sistem penyampaian perkhidmatan awam kepada rakyat. – MalaysiaGazette

Cuepacs against Single Border Agency for all entry checkpoints

FMT
3/10/2022

PETALING JAYA: Cuepacs, the union representing government workers, says it is “completely opposed” to the establishment of the Single Border Agency (SBA) to take over the roles and duties of government agencies at the country’s entry points.

Cuepacs president Adnan Mat said the decision was reached during the Peninsular Malaysia Customs Officers Union’s conference in Ayer Keroh, Melaka, today.

The SBA has been in the works for the past few years, with the home ministry stating that such an agency would strengthen border security nationwide.

In addition to the customs department, there are several other agencies involved in guarding the country’s borders such as the immigration department, with Adnan saying that they have all done their job well.

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“Take the example of the customs department. For the past few years, their collections have always exceeded the target set by the government,” he said.

“This means that they have performed their duties well. Why should this task be given to a new agency whose effectiveness is still unknown?

“It’s like the government wants to gamble with the national revenue collection if SBA is formed.”

Adnan said Cuepacs is confident that other agencies stationed at the country’s borders also carry out their duties and roles as effectively as the customs department.

He said the current multi-agency, multi-level gate control system is better than the country’s borders being controlled by a single agency.

He also called on the government to conduct negotiations and engagement sessions with representatives and labour unions before reaching decisions which involve the civil service.

“More than 22 road traffic fatalities per 100,000 have occurred on Malaysia’s highways, only the second highest number of road traffic deaths in the world after Saudi Arabia,” it said.

Kuwait topped the list of countries with the world’s worst roads, followed by Costa Rica, Georgia, Panama and New Zealand.