ALOR SETAR: Kedah civil servants will each receive RM1,000 special financial assistance under the state's 2022 Budget, says Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

       The Mentri Besar said the whole exercise will cost the state government a total of RM5.6mil.

       "The state government sees the civil servants continue to execute their duty and responsibility despite being in a limited situation due to implementation of various movement control orders (MCO) during the pandemic.

       "Even with the limitation, governmental matters were run smoothly and the state revenue collection increased," he said when tabling the state’s Budget for 2022 in the state assembly on Sunday (Nov 14).

       He said the payment was in appreciation of the contributions and sacrifices of 5,000 civil servants in the state.

       He said he hoped the announcement will raise the spirits of civil servants in the state to continue to give the best service to the people.

       He also announced a one-off payment of RM500 each to state-appointed mosque officials and religious teachers, similar to what was announced by the Federal Government recently for all federal-appointed mosque officials.

       Last month, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said a special one-off payment of RM500 will be disbursed to 70,000 mosque officials including imam, bilal (muezzins), siak (mosque caretakers), guru takmir (religious teachers), and Fardhu Ain and Kifayah (Kafa) teachers.

       Muhammad Sanusi, who is Jeneri assemblyman, said the state government will continue to give RM2,000 monthly to Opposition assemblymen and RM8,000 to government assemblymen for them to use in their service centre operations.

       He said this will cost the state government RM3.768mil next year.

       He said the state government will also allocate RM50,000 annually to all Opposition assemblymen to help those in need and for small-scale programmes in their respective constituencies.