Do not forfeit frontline workers' untaken annual leave - Cuepacs

Its president Adnan Mat said since the start of the Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18 last year, the workers could not take their annual leave in efforts to ensure the community gets the necessary healthcare and would be vaccinated as soon as possible.

"Cuepacs found that some of the leaves had been frozen and could not be used and as such, we urge the government to consider accumulating the unused leave during the pandemic.

"We request that the government consider not to forfeit the leave within three years but to extend the period to five years or more until a time when they are able to make use of their annual leave," he told reporters after visiting the State Education Department Dewan Sri Tunjong vaccination centre here, today.

Elaborating, Adnan also proposed that payment be arranged in lieu on the unused annual leave as implemented in our neighbouring country, Singapore.

"We also request that the leave balance be included together with the 15 rest days which had been the usual practice previously," he said.

In another development, Adnan urged that the government through the Ministry of Finance in its 2022 Budget to be tabled Oct 29, to consider a new remuneration system to improve the existing scheme.

"It is very important for the government to provide a budget to meet the demands of civil servants and the components in the new remuneration system to ensure the minimum wage is raised in order to be above the poverty line," he said.