He said the government provided a reasonable period – from Oct 21 to Nov 30 – for them to choose between the SSPA or the Malaysian remuneration system (SSM), Bernama reported.

“After the deadline, the opportunity to choose is no longer available. Those who did not opt for the SSPA will remain in their existing scheme,” he said, adding that no action will be taken for opting out.

It was reported that only 1,400 of the 1.5 million civil servants, or 0.13%, declined the SSPA option, which will review their salaries for the first time since 2013.

In August, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had said civil servants in top management will receive a 7% wage hike while those categorised as implementers, managers and professionals will see a 15% pay increase.

The increments will be implemented in two phases, with the first on Dec 1 this year, and Phase 2 on Jan 1, 2026.

Wan Ahmad Dahlan expressed his appreciation to those who chose the SSPA, saying they received their first salary increment yesterday under the new scheme.