Half-month bonus for civil servants in Penang

The Penang government today announced a half-month bonus or a minimum payment of RM700 for civil servants in the state.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the bonus payment would be made next month involving an allocation of RM5.22 million.

"The state government is concerned about the needs for year-end additional expenses, especially with the current rise in the cost of living and it is hoped that this bonus can somewhat ease the burden of civil servants in the state," he said when tabling the state’s 2016 budget, here.

Lim said a RM300 bonus would also be given to supervisors and teachers of Al-Quran and Fardu Ain Classes (Kafa); teachers of secondary public religious schools and teachers and staff of Chinese private schools.

He said tahfiz and pondok school teachers as well as the Penang Islamic kindergarten teachers would receive RM200 each.

Apart from that, the state government has also announced the exemption of land assessment premiums for low and medium-cost houses in the state, next year.