Civil servants will not get bonus this year as it will cost the Government about RM3.1bil, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

PM: Bonus for civil servants will cost Govt RM3.1bil
By LESTER KONG

KUALA LUMPUR: Civil servants will not get bonus this year as it will cost the Government about RM3.1bil, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“As a Finance Minister, I must say that the Government cannot responsibly spend more than what the revenue permits,” he said.

However, he said Budget 2011 had allocated a RM500 special assistance for civil servants in Grade 54 and below to be paid out in December.

On the 90-day maternity leave, he said it would benefit many teachers because 70% of them are women.

Najib said this in his speech when opening the inaugural 1Malaysia National Teachers gathering in Bukit Jalil on Saturday.

In his message to teachers, he said they must focus on helping their students attain proficiency in at least one other language besides the national language.

“We must speak well in Bahasa Malaysia because this is our identity. But we need to know a second language. It is not a zero-sum game.

“If we learn a second language, it will help boost our competitiveness,” he told 14,000 teachers at the inaugural 1Malaysia National Teachers gathering in Bukit Jalil on Saturday.

Najib also urged teachers to refrain from making students memorise answers for examinations but to teach them to be curious.

“We must teach the children to be curious. By being so, they will read more to look for answers to their questions. As individuals, they will come to value lifelong attainment of knowledge,” he said.

He said the aim was to create intellectual capital among students who think creatively.

Najib also urged teachers to shape good values in students.

“We must have values through education, whether it is through Islamic or moral studies. Equip the young generation and build up their sense of good values,” he said.

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/news/