Minimum entry for federal civil servants raised to SPM, 11 service schemes upgraded

File photo for illustration purposes only. Photo credit: F1 Digitals/Pixabay

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Sept 14: The minimum entry qualification for civil servants has been raised to the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level, aligning with recent national education policy changes and improved access to upper secondary education.

As part of this adjustment, 11 service schemes previously requiring the Form Three Assessment (PT3) or Lower Secondary Assessment (PMR) qualifications will now be upgraded to SPM-qualified service schemes, according to a news report by TVS yesterday (Sept 13).

The changes are detailed in Service Circular No. 1 of 2024, which outlines the implementation of the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) for federal civil servants.

The affected service schemes include positions such as forestry supervisors and Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM) grades G11 and G13 wildlife assistants.

Other roles undergoing upgrades include drivers or machinery operators, civil servants, and plant operators (grades H11, H14, H16, and H18), security guards (KP11, KP14, KP16, and KP18), healthcare assistants (U11, U14, U16, and U18), as well as parliamentary officials, notice dispatchers, and operational assistants (N11, N14, N16, and N18).

A significant update in the circular is the consolidation of various roles—drivers, machinery operators, civil servants, plant operators, parliamentary officials, notice dispatchers, and operational assistants—into a new, unified service scheme for general service assistants, classified under Skill Services (H), while existing employees will be transferred to this new scheme.

Additionally, the healthcare assistant service scheme has been upgraded to SPM qualification, with current staff transferred to the new scheme.

Similarly, the security guard scheme has been reclassified as a security assistant scheme, with incumbents upgraded to the SPM level. The forest ranger and wildlife assistant schemes, previously at the PT3/PMR level, will be abolished, and current staff will be reappointed to the new SPM-qualified roles.

The circular also announced that 26 service schemes requiring SPM qualifications will now be extended to include the Malaysian Vocational Certificate (SVM), while 11 schemes requiring a Malaysian Diploma or Higher School Certificate (STPM) will be extended to accept the Malaysian Skills Diploma (DKM) and Malaysian Advanced Skills Diploma (DLKM).

The reforms also emphasised the importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualifications, which will now be assessed based on their relevance to the scope of duties, providing skilled candidates with more opportunities to join the public service.

For more information, visit https://sspa.jpa.gov.my. — DayakDaily