June 29, 2012
Impartiality of Civil Service compromised
by The malaysianinsider.com (06-28-120)
The spate of statements by senior government officers backing the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is piling as Datuk Seri Najib Razak seeks a big win in a general election he must call within a year despite his coalition inching to gain public approval.
The newly appointed Chief Secretary to the Government called on his new charges on Sunday to be loyal to the government and ignore the Opposition’s “empty promises”.
The 1.4-million-strong public sector has been a traditional vote bank for BN but controversy over a new pay scheme and attacks on the ruling parties from Pakatan Rakyat over bread-and-butter issues have given the Opposition hope of swinging the civil service over.
Although the Prime Minister’s popularity rating in Peninsular Malaysia dropped by four percentage points after violent clashes between the Police and protestors at the April 28 BERSIH rally it still remains at 65 per cent, while his government has been unable to breach the 50 per cent mark.
Analysts told The Malaysian Insider that with the political contest stiffer than ever, the public sector’s confidence in the political leadership has been shaken. They said issues such as the alleged abuse of a RM250 million federal loan by a then Cabinet minister’s family, a higher education loan scheme said to saddle students with debt and claims of kickbacks in the RM7 billion purchase of Scorpene submarines linked to Najib weighed heavily among voters.
“Despite obvious advantages to BN, Najib has delayed polls to a point where he has a very narrow window left. The net effect of these issues and an ‘uneven’ handling from his administration has resulted in a lot of new tactics coming to play.
“So (civil servants) are seeing subtle and not-so-subtle reminders from their senior colleagues to ‘vote the right way’,” said Ibrahim Suffian who heads opinion researchers Merdeka Center.
Independent political analyst Khoo Kay Peng sees a “cohesive strategy to win over the middle ground” by talking up the “certainty that comes with a BN government.”
Making references to Najib’s “Janji Ditepati (Promises Fulfilled)” campaign,
which is now also the theme for upcoming National Day celebrations, he said that “with hard times coming, there are many who will want to take care of their rice bowl and not make their bosses look bad.”
Chief Secretary Datuk Seri Ali Hamsa (Tan Sri in 2013) had said civil servants “should know better” than to believe “empty promises” from the Opposition, calling them to “serve the government of the day” in an interview published by the New Sunday Times.
Foreign Ministry Under Secretary Ahmad Rozian Abdul Ghani then attacked a Canadian newspaper yesterday for describing Najib as a “false democrat,” insisting the Prime Minister had “an impressive track record by anyone’s standards.”
“While the Prime Minister takes nothing for granted, he hopes he will be given a mandate to continue Malaysia’s transformation,” the diplomat added.
A director at Putrajaya’s efficiency unit PEMANDU also made a public attack on Pakatan Rakyat yesterday for not improving the states it governs and focusing on sniping and criticising the Federal Government’s efforts.
“All oppos do is snipe & critic wot is being done but not focused on improving their states! Wot hv they done??” communications director Alex Iskandar Liew said on his public account on micro-blogging site Twitter, copying @barisannasional and @NRC11, a fan club dedicated to the Prime Minister.
Political science lecturer James Chin refused to single out any act of impartiality by government officials but said that “by convention and in the government’s General Orders, civil servants cannot make any political statement.”
“Politics must be handled by political appointees such as political or press secretaries who are on contract and not governed by the Public Service Department,” he said.
The Chief Secretary is the country’s top government servant while undersecretaries are the top level of civil service officers. Most PEMANDU employees, however, are hired on a contract basis.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
The new KSN will not say anything to displease his boss..I am not surprised at this loyalty pledge and plea, but at least Dato Seri Dr. Ali Hamsa is honest enough to let us know that he stands with UMNO-BN. Why should he care about civil service impartiality? He is grateful to the Prime Minister (Najib) for appointing him to succeed Tan Sri Sidek who was recently made Petronas chairman as reward for his loyalty to the Government. Gua tolong lu, lu tolong gua, lah.–Din Merican
There is no alternative opened to the civil service & other relevant government departments but to be undividedly loyal to the government in being. They are expected to declare, show beyond doubt and be commited in thier loyalty to the government in being. The leaders especially the Chief Secretary must show the good example – they cannot remain half-hearted or impartial. What is wrong with that?
What is the difference between the “Government” and the “Governance”, hussin? I see a more sinister trend than you.
I’m sure you understand the G.O.s that state neutrality in politics. The civil service, as part of the “Government”, functions under the auspices of the YDP Agong. Therefore this present mamak (pardon the expression) KSN who was catapulted way beyond his competency and the incumbent KSUs for the top-dog job – has no right in casting aspersions against the Opposition, who represents the detractors of a thoroughly corrupt regime. The Opposition are still citizens. Any civil servant worth his salt, must serve without fear or favor. But it seems that nowadays, they are more sand than salt.
Neutrality of the GS is essential for a functioning democracy. We are as much democracy, as a sand castle. I shall not even dignify a response to the mercenary twits in Pemandu.
Remember, the swearing in of a new “Government” in audience of the YDPA, requires the presence of the Chief Justice, the Attorney General and yes, the KSN. Why do you think this ampu-bodek fella was so urgently sworn in, when TS Sidek’s term only ends in August-September? Would TS Sidek at the end of his career, really care who forms the next GoM – so long as he gets into Petronas as chairman, instead of merely running a gas-station?
The Constitutional Position of UK Civil Servants
The traditional “Westminster Model” of government in the UK is summarised in a separate webpage which provides background to calls for civil service reform. Within the Westminster Model, the UK Civil Service has no “constitutional personality” or responsibility separate from the Government of the day. It is there to provide the Government of the day with advice on the formulation of the policies, to assist in carrying out the Government’s decisions, and to manage and deliver Government services. Civil servants therefore … :
… cannot express their own opinions, even in court or in front of a Parliamentary committee,
… must loyally carry out Ministers’ decisions with precisely the same energy and good will, whether they agree with them or not, and
… must demonstrate four core values:
Integrity
Honesty
Objectivity and
Impartiality – including political impartiality.
** Please note the last core value.**
Their impartiality can be compromised. Why not? They are beholdened to the person who puts them in that position. It is only to expected when promotions are based on ‘ meritocracy and competence’ which are by nature and definition subjective. They can do what their boss wants them to do when it comes to contacts and procurements. They can give them to the children who have connections and even to the unborn children with connection. My concern is that the forms of the tender process are being used to undermined its substance. The Tender Committee is not bound to award the contact to the highest or lowest bidder. We need senior civil servants in the various Tender Committees who know market prices for goods and services.
In the 70s and 80s Teams of Inspectors were sent to countries where we had diplomatic missions to determine the quantum of overseas allowances for that post. These teams worked deligently in that they would visit at least 3 supermarkets to determine the prices of goods and services before deciding on the overseas allowance for that post. And in most cases they were well within the 10% margin. Can this system be used domestically to determine prices of goods and services purchaesd by government?
I hope that PEMANDU will look into this matter before it is too late.
“The newly appointed Chief Secretary to the Government called on his new charges on Sunday to be loyal to the government and ignore the Opposition’s “empty promises”.
Should anyone be surprised that this statement came from the Chief Secretary to the Government the time it did, the way it did, when UMNO the political party that runs the government is at its lowest ebb? UMNO knows the tide is turning. This is the coup de grace delivered into the heart of the doctrine of civil service neutrality.
This Chief Secretary to the government is too thick to be able to differentiate between government and the political party that runs the government. The ruling party may change. The government never does.
What is wrong with that?
hussin – June 29, 2012 at 10:46 am
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What’s wrong with the Chief Secretary reminding government servants of their duty of loyalty to the government? Nothing wrong. It is just that you are too dumb – like the Chief Secretary to the Government – to know the difference between loyalty to king and country and to a political party.
Let’s leave the judgement on the professionalism of the GS until and if the PR captures Putra Jaya after this GE 13 to re-check on their loyalty. If they waver then they are really worse than the “sand” & no “salt”.
If they waver then they are really worse than the “sand” & no “salt”.
hussin – June 29, 2012 at 8:01 pm
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Never heard of freedom of speech? When you apply for a government job, is there in small print somewhere on any form which makes it mandatory that you vote for UMNO-BN? The taxpayers pay your salary and not UMNO members. Your loyalty is to King and country – not UMNO nor its leaders.
Having said that it was Mahathir more than any other Prime Minister in history who worked tirelessly to make government an appendage of UMNO’s machinery, blurring the line that seprates government from the ruling party that runs it.
A day will come when UMNO members will find themselves filling up the backbenches in Parliament. What will you say to government servants then?? Not to vote for the party that runs the government. You see, you cannot have it both ways.
We have been fortunate to have the Brits leave us with the English language and civil law based on the English common law. We have done well to destroy both. With the help of people like Hussin here we are doing the same to the Westminster model of Parliamentary Democracy.
Yes, we have heard about the freedom of speech – I hope I am still allowed to exercise it here. Thank you.
Do I hear rumblings that your postings are being moderated, or banned or deleted? Dato has to protect himself since no one will.
Over here there was a case (at least if it is not real it appeared as a problem lawyer wannabes have had to solve when sitting for their bar exam). In that case a blogger was served a subpoena duces tecum to produce notes and reveal sources of her information or face contempt. The issue that came up before the court was whether a blogger has the protection of the law given to journalists (over here journalists cannot be compelled to reveal the identities of their informants nor be compelled to surrender their notes). In Malaysia, Dato here does not have such protection because there is no such law to begin with. He can be hauled in for postings made on the virtual media, for “collecting, disseminating and publishing” information just like any other journalists in the print media.
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Thanks, Mongkut Bean, for your understanding. Most people use their pseudo-names or anon to say as they please. I will not allow that. Criticisms of the Government or the Opposition are welcome if they are responsible and well founded. Anonymity does not give a person the privilege of freedom of expression without accountability. I do correct typos etc. The Delete button and the moderation system from WordPress.com are most helpful but I have to spend a lot of time and effort to filter out garbage.–Din Merican