Malaysia’s main Public Service Union has urged Agencies to be more lenient with employees with schoolchildren by giving them increased opportunities to work from home as schools remain closed during the pandemic-inspired Movement Control Order (MCO).
President of the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs), Adnan Mat said his organisation had received reports of Heads of Departments disregarding a circular encouraging working remotely in an effort to guard against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The conditional MCO has not stopped Civil Servants from carrying out their duties professionally but they do run into problems when their children are left at home unsupervised when schools are closed,” Mr Adnan said.
He said the refusal of some senior officials to exercise the option had parents worrying about proper childcare at home while they were at work.
Mr Adnan said while Federal Agencies had no problem allowing their staff to work from home, Local Authorities and Statutory Bodies seemed to regard the MCO as optional.
“Some of them even disregard it because they say they have their own rules which take precedence,” he said.
In the most recent ruling public sector offices are allowed a maximum of 30 per cent of staff to be physically present until the end of the MCO.
Director General of the Public Service Department, Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman (pictured) said the decision had been made to ensure services could be accessed by the public.
“The directive to work from home excludes those providing the service delivery of essential services which is determined by the Head of Departments,” Tan Sri Mohd said.
This followed a Government directive for public and private sectors to work from home wherever possible.
Kuala Lumpur, 23 October 2020
