PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
CO. 882
6
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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Sub-Enclosure 8.
PROPOSED CLASSIFICATION.
Federated Malay States Civil Service.
No. 1 SCHEME.
Class.
Appointments.
Percentage.
Salaries.
Initial Increase.
I.
9
9.8
Dollars. 6,000 and upwards
Dollars. 3,000
II.
10
10-9
5,400 to 6,000
8,400
III.
19
20.6
4,200 to 4,800
15,000
IV.
17
18:5
3,600 to 4,200
V.
19
20-6
3,000 to 3,600
12,300
11,400
VI.
18
19-6
2,400 to 3,000
900
92
51,000
No. 2 SCHEME.
Clam
Appointments.
Percentage.
Salaries.
Initial Increase.
Dollars.
1.
9
9.8
6,000 and upwards
II.
17
18-5
4,800 to 5,400
III.
24
26.1
3,600 to 4,200
IV.
24
26.1
3,000 to 3,600
Dollars. 3,000
10,800
11,400
12,900
V
18
19.6
2,400 to 3,000
92
900
39,000
NOTES on the Proposed Classification of the Federated Malay States Civil Service.
No. I. Scheme is based on that contained in Table III. of the Memorial of the Members of the Straits Settlements Civil Service, copy of which was enclosed in High Commissioner's letter, confidential, 41, of 29th of August, 1900, with the addition of a 6th Class.
2. This addition is made in order to carry out the instructions of the Secretary of State, that Cadets are to receive $2,400 per annum as soon as they are appointed to substantive posts.
3. The Scheme is understood to include the payment of house rent by all officers living in Government houses except in certain cases in Class I.
4. No. II. Scheme is a modification of No. I., the salaries being on a lower scale than in the 1st Scheme, and it is proposed that under it officers may, as now, occupy Government houses free of rent.
5. It will be seen that where the salaries differ (except in seven cases) they are $50 per mensem less in No. II. than in No. I. Scheme, and the initial saving to Govern- ment is $12,000 on the whole Scheme, while officers have the advantage of living rent free. This is also advantageous to Government, as it ensures officers living in healthy quarters suited to their position.
6. The question of revision of salaries and periodical increments is raised by the Secretary of State in paragraph 9 of his despatch of 27th December, 1895, on the subject of Federation, and no general revision or classification has hitherto taken place.
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7. The highest possible amounts to be paid for increments under these Schemes are the same in both cases, and are as follows:-
After the 1st year
After the 2nd year
After the 3rd year
$3,600 5,100
25,500
exclusive of increments to passed and unpassed Cadets which are not calculable.
During these years many promotions and changes will, no doubt, take place, which will result in the promoted holders of many appointments continuing to draw the initial salaries attached thereto, so that in practice the addition to be made to Personal Emoluments to meet the increments under the Scheme will be very considerably less than the figures given above.
It must be remembered that every death or retirement or promotion to another Service means a movement in each class below as well as in that in which the officer is, so that should there be, say, ten such retirements in the course of three years (there have been five in the last three years in Perak alone) it is probable that thirty to forty out of the ninety-two appointments would be affected, and over of the amounts shown above as possible increments would not have to be provided for.
8. Last year the Resident-General made recommendations which resulted in increases of salaries amounting to $40,000 to all the appointments in the Federated Malay States. These increases effected some improvement in the prospects of the Service, but were not far-reaching enough, as may be seen from the fact that the percentages of appointments in the five Classes are now respectively, according to Mr. Marks' figures, 3.98 per cent., 6.57 per cent., 9.21 per cent., 18.42 per cent., and 61.04 per cent., so that promotion is hopelessly blocked.
If No. I. Scheme is adopted, it would involve a total increase of emoluments amounting to $51,000, on the initiation of the 1st Scheme and exclusive of the posed periodical increments, were all the posts at present filled, but as some of them proTM are now vacant, and others occupied by unpassed Cadets, the real increase will probably be $2,000 to $3,000 less.
It is estimated that the greatest possible increase from increments at the end of the 1st year at $3,600, at the end of two years at $5,100, and at the end of three years at $25,500, but as in the meantime many changes will, no doubt, take place, it is possible that the actual increase will be very considerably below these figures, as the holders of, perhaps, half the appointments will still be on the initial salaries.
If No. II. Scheme is adopted, the total pensionable increase, including that pro- vided last year by Sir Frank Swettenham, will amount to $79,000, and with the increments recommended may reach $100,000 eventually.
10. Considering that the Tin Revenue of Perak alone this year will probably exceed the Estimate by about a million dollars, while there is a similar increase in Selangor, and I believe a proportionately larger one in Negri Sembilan, and that the new Farms in Perak will probably give a further large increase next year, it is evident that this expenditure which is necessary to put the establishment on a sound footing is well within our means; while the present want of officers, due, principally, to the difficulty in inducing Cadets to join, or, having joined, to remain in the Service under present conditions, is injurious alike to the interests of the Government, the Service, and the Public.
A not inconsiderable reduction in the expenditure under the Scheme might be effected later on by creating a Lower Division of the Civil Service, apart from, and superior to, the Clerical Service, on the lines successfully carried out in India, and I believe in Ceylon, and to which the Secretary of State draws attention in his despatch of 27th December, 1895; and I would suggest that a certain number of appointments should be set apart in Classes III. IV. and V. as open to Native gentlemen on 2/3rds the salaries specified for those appointments.
11.
12. Promotion in the Service might be accelerated by making retirement at the age of 50 optional.
13. The following are the principal conditions under which the Classification Scheme would be worked:--
(a.) Salaries to be attached to the grades and not to individual officers, as approved by the Secretary of State in the case of Ceylon-vide paragraphs 38 and 39 of despatch dated 19th February, 1897.
(b.) All appointments in each grade, except in Class I., to be equal, and all
officers within each grade to be inter-changeable.