(Kuala Lumpur, Saturday): I welcome the proposal to raise the retirement age of civil servants to 58 as advancement of medical technology has greatly increased the level of health and longevity of Malaysians.

Senior civil servants who reach 56 are rich in valuable experience and it will be a waste to the nation if they are asked to retire at this age. In this respect, I would urge the government to consider raising retirement age to 60 in line with recent trends.

Although the increase in retirement age may reduce the burgeoning pension bill, what is also important is for the government to improve the efficiency of the civil service more reflective of the multi-racial society. In this regards, I call upon the government to change its recruitment policy and base promotion on merits rather than racial quota.