[Watch] Selangor Civil Servants Donate Minimum RM50 For Putra Heights Gas Explosion Victims: When Helping Becomes Policy

Selangor is set to collect RM102,050 through these donations, ranging from RM1,000 for Exco members to RM50 for regular civil servants.

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Selangor’s government workers are about to see their paychecks get lighter – not because they did anything wrong, but because of a gas pipeline explosion they had nothing to do with.

The state’s top brass, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, announced that everyone from high-ranking officials to regular civil servants (Grade 48 and above) will have to donate part of their salary to help victims of the Putra Heights gas explosion.

Amirudin has a not-so-subtle message to any politicians thinking of dodging this mandatory generosity.

Unless you’re planning to deny being an ADUN, we’re cutting your pay.

We’re talking about contributions ranging from RM1,000 for Exco members to RM50 for civil servants—all in the name of solidarity.

The state expects to rake in about RM102,050 from this initiative, which will add to the RM500,000 already collected in its Tabung Prihatin Selangor.

Grade 48: When ‘Higher Pay Grade’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Disposable Income

While the headlines trumpet RM102,050 in contributions for Putra Heights gas explosion victims, the devil lurks in the details.

Critics argue that what’s being sold as a noble gesture of solidarity is nothing short of sophisticated wage garnishment.

As critics point out, these are their wages—earned through missed family dinners, stress-filled meetings, and countless overtime hours. When did their salaries become a disaster relief ATM?

The mandate also has prompted conversations about the complex relationship between official salary grades and actual financial capacity.

The salary for public servants at Grade 48 ranges from RM5,125.00 to RM11,640.00. (In Malaysia’s new Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA), Grade 48 refers to the old system’s grade, which is now mapped to SSPA Grade 12)

Supporters of the initiative dismiss these concerns, pointing to the recent financial benefits civil servants have received.

Civil servants in Selangor received a bonus equivalent to two months’ salary, so they argue that a RM50 deduction from Grade 48 officers is hardly burdensome.

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