A comprehensive study, including on the financial capability, needs to be done before deciding on the minimum wage increase for civil servants in the country, says Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Mohd Shafiq Abdullah.

"We know the government has a huge burden and pays pensions and so on. As for our civil servants, it needs a comprehensive approach (before the pay increase)," Shafiq (above) said when met by reporters after attending a meeting with senior Perak state officials at Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan in Ipoh today.

This was in response to the new minimum wage of RM1,500 announced by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday to be paid by employers of large companies and whether it would also be implemented for civil servants.

On another matter, Shafiq said the people's trust in the public service also needed to be raised, including facilitating efficient services, reducing bureaucracy and making people-centred innovations.

Yesterday, Ismail Sabri announced that the government had approved the implementation of a minimum wage of RM1,500 per month nationwide from May 1, and it will first take effect involving large companies and government-linked companies.

- Reuters