The salary increases were by Najib yesterday at a meeting with civil servants. Opposition politicians were reminded of the RM1.5 billion in salary hikes announced just before the 2013 general election.

PKR’s Wong Chen believes the salary hike announcement is an “obvious” attempt to get on the good side of the 1.6 million members of the public services, who are viewed by analysts as a major vote bank for the Barisan Nasional.

Wong, who is Kelana Jaya MP, believes that most civil servants already know that the federal government’s fiscal situation is unsustainable at present.

“This small pay rise will not solve their longer-term worries of a stagnant pay and the high cost of living.”

PPBM information chief Kamarudin Md Nor described Najib’s announcement as “immoral”. He said it could be construed as fishing for votes.

“But we don’t need to worry. I’m sure civil servants are smart enough. They will not sell their soul.”

Electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 said the salary increase could constitute an electoral offence: the announcement could be regarded as an attempt by a government official to influence voters.

Bersih acting chairman Sharul Aman Mohd Saari said civil service salary increases should be structured and planned, “regardless of who is the government and when an election is being held”.

He said public service salary increases should be scheduled, whether a small increase every year or by a certain amount every two years, and not by the election calendar.

“Both sides in politics must abide by this. Politicians must avoid such practices, whether they run the federal government or state governments.”

Former Transparency International Malaysia president Ramon Navaratnam questioned the timing of Najib’s announcement and the financial implications of higher salaries.

“Can we afford this pay raise? Also the timing … it might have been better to announce it after the elections, as it sounds like an undue incentive for civil servants to vote government parties,” he told FMT.

Navaratnam, a former transport ministry secretary-general, said civil servants must produce greater efficiency in return, because the public wanted a more efficient civil service.

The pay rises were announced five months after the government provided a one-time cash payment of RM1,500 for civil servants and RM750 for government retirees in the 2018 federal budget tabled by Najib in October.

Najib promises RM1.4 billion raise for civil servants ahead of GE14