PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is expected to hand over power to Datuk Seri Najib Razak soon, has formulated several policies and strategies all geared towards enhancing the quality of life of the people. To ensure the benefits reach the target group, he brought about vast improvement to the delivery system.

He improved the civil service pay structure. Now civil servants get better salaries, more perquisites, flexible working hours and better retirement benefits. He has also prodded civil servants to work harder and stay clean.

He has provided the hardcore poor with a social safety net. The urban low-income earners have been given financial assistance through the Welfare Department’s “Projek Cari” programme.

Pensioners are grateful to him for the increased pension, and those with 25 years’ service get a minimum of RM720 a month. Spouses now get full derivative pension after 121/2 years, where previously it had only been a 70 per cent pension.

Widows who remarry have had their derivative pensions restored. Pensioners have never had it so good.

When he was a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Abdullah made it compulsory for every public servant to have a desk file. The file sets out in detail the duties and responsibilities of the post and a flow chart. This enabled efficient day-to-day running of government departments.

It was also Abdullah who introduced the one-stop payment system for settling utility bills. It saved the people a lot of hassle, travel time and cost.

He was the first PM to take a Komuter ride to see for himself the delays and inconvenience suffered by commuters daily. He immediately directed the public service providers to improve the system quickly.

The passage of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Bill and the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill by the Dewan Rakyat recently bears testimony to his commitment. His resolve and accomplishments are highly commendable and should be appreciated.

S. SUNDARESON, Petaling Jaya

Source: NST – March 31, 2009