Civil servants working from home could ease costs amid rising fuel prices, says Abdul Karim

KUCHING (March 14): A proposal to allow civil servants to work from home (WFH) could help ease the financial burden on workers amid rising fuel prices and potential inflation, said Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

The Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts noted that WFH arrangements have already become common in the private sector and could offer certain benefits if adopted more widely.

“Work from home has already become a normal arrangement, especially in the private sector. Many companies provide their employees the option to work from home, and there are both advantages and disadvantages.

“The advantage is that it offers greater comfort, particularly for those with families. However, the downside is that some individuals may lack discipline.

“When working from home, we may not always know whether they are actually working or not,” he told reporters after officiating the Juh Berambeh Sungkei @ Kuching 2026 at Padang Merdeka here.

Nevertheless, he said digital technology allows employers and organisations to monitor productivity to some extent.

“In this digital era, we are able to monitor the situation to a certain degree,” he added.

Abdul Karim said WFH arrangements could also be practical at a time when global economic pressures may lead to higher fuel prices and rising inflation.

“With the current situation where fuel prices are increasing and inflation is expected to rise, initiatives like this could be beneficial.

“People travelling to work would not have to incur additional expenses on petrol for cars or motorcycles,” he said.

The matter has recently gained national attention after Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the federal government is studying the feasibility of implementing WFH arrangements for civil servants.

Fahmi said the proposal would be reviewed by the Chief Secretary to the Government and the Public Service Department director-general following instructions from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, before a decision is made by the Cabinet.

Abdul Karim also cautioned that rising global oil prices could drive up production costs and consumer prices, which may in turn affect travel demand and the tourism industry.

“I expect the tourism industry will also feel some impact because many people may think twice about travelling. We can already see that airfares have started to increase,” he said.