RM1,950 pay rise for 550 specialists

NST: PUTRAJAYA: Some 550 specialists in the government service will receive a windfall of almost RM20 million.
After four years, the government has agreed to a request from the Health Ministry to promote these "victims of circumstance" with a salary increment of RM1,950.
They are doctors who started their Master’s before the implementation of the Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM) on Nov 1, 2002.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the specialists, now in U41 with a take-home salary of RM5,352.81 including allowances, would now be promoted straight to U48 with a take-home pay of RM7,303.51.
"Those already gazetted as specialists and those waiting to be gazetted will be promoted," he said.
Of the 551 specialists, 183 completed their Master’s in 2004, another 281 finished in 2005 and the rest last year.
Dr Chua said despite the fact that they had completed their Master’s, and some had been gazetted as specialists, they were still receiving the salary of a medical officer who is in the U41 scale.
"They should have been promoted to U48 but they were caught in a limbo because of the move to SSM," said Dr Chua.
The salary rise will cost the government another RM19.032 million a year.
Dr Chua also announced that 18 dentists who did their Master’s before Nov 1, 2002, would also move directly from U41 to U48.
This will cost RM712,000 more per year in additional salaries and allowances.
The dentists would otherwise be stuck in U41 and have to sit for a Skills Competency Examination to be promoted to U44, and then to U48.
"The specialists have waited patiently for this good news," said Dr Chua, adding that the promotion exercise would help the ministry overcome the shortage of specialists.
There are 2,233 specialist posts in government hospitals, but only about 1,400 have been filled.
In addition, only 6,700 medical officers’ (clinicians) posts have been filled. There are 9,503 vacancies.
Dr Chua hoped that with the promotions, allowances and incentives, the specialists and doctors would remain in government service.