Malaysia’s Public Servants have been warned that disciplinary action, including termination, could be taken if there was evidence a person had tarnished the image of the Public Service or breached its rules.
Director-General of the Public Service Department (PSD), Mohd Shafiq reminded all public officers that the position they currently held within the administration was a trust given to them.
“In matters related to the country’s security and sovereignty, immediate action must be taken without compromise or favouritism against any public officer for carelessness or non-compliance, especially if it involves security at the main international entry and exit points,” Datuk Seri Mohd (pictured) said.
“Every Public Servant must be positive upon receiving views, suggestions or criticism from any stakeholder, including high-level officers, in an effort to improve the delivery of public service.”
He said a public official who was reprimanded either by the public, a supervisor, colleague or superior officer due to his or her unsatisfactory services should not respond by provoking the party who made the criticism.
“Extreme provocation to gain public attention, or to use it as a material to make it ‘viral’ can be considered irresponsible and goes against the work culture of public officials, and the rules and laws in force,” Datuk Seri Mohd said.
His comments came in a circular after the Immigration Services Union of Peninsular Malaysia demanded a public apology from Datuk Seri Mohd for allegedly berating an Immigration officer at the VIP lounge of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The Director-General denied he had publicly berated the officer, saying he had “rightly reprimanded” him for not complying with the standard operating procedure after the officer allegedly failed to check Datuk Seri Mohd and his delegation’s travel documents and passports.
In a separate development, two economists agreed that the size of the national debt and the level of corruption and financial mismanagement meant there should be no pay increases for Public Servants.
Nazari Ismail, of Universiti Malaysia, said those in the Public Service, especially lower-level staff, deserved an increase because of higher living costs, but the Government’s debt burden made this impossible.
Former top Public Servant, Ramon Navaratnam agreed that leakages from corruption had reduced the Government’s coffers, making it difficult for salaries to be increased.
The former Deputy Secretary General of the Treasury said both union and the Government should understand the scope for salary adjustments was limited.
Kuala Lumpur, 14 August 2022
