SHAH ALAM - The government is urged to review the salaries of Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department personnel, as their current earnings are not commensurate with the scope of work they perform.
Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) former president Datuk Azih Muda said that uniformed personnel should receive better pay rates compared to other civil servants.
"The salaries paid to firefighters are the same as those for other civil servants, even though they serve in all situations and are on standby 24 hours a day in case of emergencies.
"Their work is not just about extinguishing fires; they do everything from rescuing animals, capturing venomous creatures and saving drowning victims," he said.
Azih added that the government could also provide protection for firefighters through incentives in the form of special allowances to support those working in high-risk conditions.
"If salaries cannot be increased, then introduce these incentives (risk allowances) for them. At the very least, there should be some advantage to recognise their work," he said.
He suggested that the government revise the ex-gratia payments for the families of personnel who die while in service.
Ex-gratia is a government provision for the dependents of civil servants who died in service with less than 20 years or 240 months of service to alleviate their burden.
Azih said that the current ex-gratia provided was insufficient to support the dependents, as the amount given is significantly lower than the benefits paid by the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso).
"The government needs to introduce a protection incentive for personnel and their dependents in the event of an unfortunate incident, such as death, paralysis or total incapacity.
"This incentive should be introduced by the government so that they and their families feel that their sacrifices in serving the safety and well-being of the public are appreciated," he said.