Details on BKP for Malaysia's civil servants and pensioners: Eligibility and payout date

To recap, RM300 will be handed out to to civil servants grade 56 and below, and RM200 to Government retirees, including pensioners, issued pension recipients, EPF retirees, and other specified groups.

In a speech on 27 July 2023, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced an overarching economic framework for the nation's policies — MADANI Economy: Empowering the people or Ekonomi MADANI: Memperkasa Rakyat. In it, among the many initiatives he announced, he had talked about aligning the salaries of civil servants with the Government’s financial capacity.

Noting that civil servants' salaries and allowances are being studied, he had shared that, first up, the Government will provide a special appreciation assistance of RM300 to civil servants grade 56 and below, and RM200 to Government retirees, including pensioners, issued pension recipients, EPF retirees, optional retirees, and those who have not received a pension, pensioned veterans, as well as non-pensioned veterans. This move is expected to benefit 1.3mn civil servants, including contract appointees, and over one million retirees.

Since that first announcement, new details have emerged on these "special awards", or Bantuan Khas Penghargaan (BKP) for civil servants and government pensioners, signed off by Dato' Dr Zulkapli Bin Mohamed, Director-General of the Public Service Department, summarised below.

Method and eligibility of payment of BKP

The following groups will be eligible for the special payments:

• Public Service officers of the Management and Professional Group and Executive Group Grade 56 and below who are still serving on 10 August 2023. The eligible Public Service Officers of the Management and Professional Group and Executive Group are:
  • permanent, temporary and Contract of Service (COS) appointed officers;
  • officers on full paid leave;
  • c) officers on half-pay leave;
  • d) officers who are on leave without pay; and
  • e) seconded officers including to agencies whose compensation management is separated. The BKP will be paid by agencies that accept loan officers.

The following groups are also eligible for BKP:

• appointed officers of MySTEP who are still serving on 10 August 2023 and were appointed before 10 August 2023 provided that their contract period has been in effect for at least 30 consecutive days;
• interim teachers;
• self-appointed drivers by officers of Main Position Grade B and above, as well as Special Grade A and above who is qualified as a driver but is not provided with a driver by his department; and
• drivers self-appointed by Administrative Members as well as Judges and Judicial Commissioners.

Eligibility is also extended to the following:

• For Government retirees, including recipients of pensions issued under the pension law, Employees' Provident Fund Scheme (EPF) retirees who retire from public service upon reaching the mandatory retirement age option (55/56/58/60 years) or retire for Health Reasons (ASK), optional retirees who have not received a pension on or before 10 August 2023, they will be paid RM200 by the Public Service Department (JPA) while pensioned and non-pensioned veterans by the MAF Veteran Affairs Department (JHEV).
  
  
• Retirees and veterans who are re-appointed on permanent, temporary and COS appointments and are still serving on 10 August 2023 are eligible to be paid RM300. Payment of RM200.00 will be made by JPA/JHEV and the balance of RM100.00 will be paid by the department where the officer is serving.
  
  
• Federal Civil Service Officers who died on 10 August 2023 are eligible to be given BKP Year 2023 of RM300.00.

The following are ineligible for the BKP payments:

• officers in the Top Management Group and equivalent including officers who are acting, borrowed/temporarily transferred and special placement to Main Position Grade/Special Grade;
• officers subject to disciplinary punishment of dismissal or demoted during the period 1 January 2023 to 10 August 2023;
• officers whose service is terminated in the public interest during the period 1 January 2023 to 10 August 2023;
• officers who resigned during the period 1 January 2023 to 10 August 2023; and
• pensioned officers who give up their pension rights for joining the Statutory Body Separated Remuneration (BBDS).

Officials who have been detained, suspended or a letter of charge has been issued by the Disciplinary Authority (PBTT) will be delayed in the granting of the Civil Servant and Government Pensioner BKP this year 2023. Officers are only eligible to be paid the 2023 Civil Servant and Government Pensioner BKP after being acquitted of disciplinary charges or being punished other than dismissal or demoted by the relevant PBTT.

Finally, to note, that the BKP will be paid on 10 August 2023 and will be the responsibility of the department where the officer serves on the payment date.

ALSO READ: Malaysia announces new economic framework, 'MADANI Economy: Empowering the people'

Lead image / Public Service Department (JPA)