IPOH : The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS) has proposed three options to the Public Service Department (JPA) to improve the Grade N1 Administrative and Finance Assistant Scheme in line with the current qualifications of civil servants. CUEPACS president Datuk Dr Adnan Mat said the first option involves making the existing Administrative Assistant scheme obsolete and aligning it directly under grade N5, similar to adjustments made to several other schemes in previous reviews. “Many administrative assistants now hold higher qualifications such as diplomas, degrees, and even master’s and PhD qualifications, yet they remain at the basic N1 grade, which corresponds to the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) salary level. “With this alignment, their scheme will better reflect their actual responsibilities, which have now far exceeded their original job scope,” he told reporters after attending the Amalgamated Union of Employees in Government Clerical and Allied Services (AUEGCAS) Fun Run here today. Also present were State Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration Committee chairman A. Sivanesan and AUEGCAS president Hazani Hamzah. Adnan said the second option is to allow a one-off grade increase to N5 for those with higher academic qualifications, in line with the approach outlined in Service Circular No. 1 of 2016. “The third option proposes an automatic grade promotion to N5 after a minimum of 15 years of service under the N1 grade, with the grade reverting to its original level upon retirement,” he said. He added that all three proposed options would not have significant financial implications for the government as the basic salary structure remains largely the same, except for minor adjustments in the Annual Salary Increment (KGT) rate. In addition, Adnan said about 320,000 civil servants fall under the current scheme, forming the backbone of administration in ministries, local authorities (PBT), and government agencies nationwide. - Bernama