Kow Towing to the Civil Servants

Ordinary public and voters don't know much about Constitutional Law except being reminded under threat of Sedition, ISA and what not Article 153 only.

So when the issue of the appointment of Selangor's State Secretary or SSS is creating controversy with a State Government that was not consulted on its appointment, we are given divergent arguments on who is right and who is wrong.

What is clear is this unjust legal provision that the SSS must be a Muslim! Now isn't that a kind of apartheid policy? Of course the clever legal eagles will say a Chinese or Mamak Muslim can become a SS so the appointment is not colour blind and there is no apartheid, right? And there are so many who will defend this provision with their colourful arguments. Deep inside, if these people have any moral conscience at all, they know it is a hardcore apartheid policy, albeit a religious one. But then, they are only doing what they interpret as truth to them it is God’s command to have such a rule? Is it really God?

Back to our SS, and if we follow the developments, it seemed this situation arose due to the Constitutional Crisis of 1993 that was masterminded by non other than an UMNO Prime Minister and supported by the BN parties of course – to give it the people’s wish. At that time ketuanan rakyat was supreme to strip the Rulers and King of their powers and give wide power to the Prime Minister and Government. At that time UMNO believed they will last a thousand years this belief if we know our history was also alive during the Roman Empire in the ancient world and in modern times not so long ago by an Aryan leader that created the holocaust.

Ole Tun never thought March 2008 would ever happen and wielded immense power often holding everyone by their crown jewels including the judiciary and the royalty. So much so the civil servants have been slowly been turned into a sort of powerful chiefdoms that even elected leaders like a State Chief Minister must kow tow to the fello paid by taxpayers.

This separation of power must be about not giving too much power into the hands of some power crazy Chief Minister perhaps. And civil servants are supposed to serve the government of the day so they can stick two fingers at the Chief Minister and that poor elected leader cannot do anything about it!

These days the ketuanan rakyat appeal is somewhat a dirty and seditious word also being manipulated to warn of taking away the power of the Rulers. Our politicians are really clever manipulators and the people are very easily convinced and easily forget their history, the real one of course.

We are told it is a legality issue, which is man-made right?. So if there is a need to change it, Selangor government should also use that legal ride to do so right provided of course they have the numbers to change at their whims and fancy as happened in the past 50 years too!

Look like our Pakatan Khalid will get his hernia as he cannot do anything if the SSS decides to squeeze his crown jewels. That is if the UMNO lawyers are right as reported in an online news today.

The lawyer said the MB’s actions would also jeopardise the administration of the state, and the effect would be felt on the ground.“The MB also cannot run the state civil service. Legally, the MB cannot interfere in the day-to-day running of the state.“The MB cannot give instructions to the civil service unless he goes through the state secretary first,” he said, and added: “Because the head of the state civil service is the state secretary.” Hafarizam said that if Khalid were to give instructions directly to the various state departments and agencies, he would be “acting in excess of his power and whatever acts pursuant to it would be considered coercion and ultra vires”.“Which means it can be challenged in a court of law.”

Hmm which simply means the Chief Minister has to go through the SS if he wants to instruct the attendant or security guard to do something. Effectively the SS wields tremendous power in the State and can even sabotage the Chief Minister if he or she doesn’t want to pass on the Chief Ministers request or even programmes the State implements.

It’s odd, we seem to be so concerned about the independence and power of the SSS and he takes no orders from any elected official. But at the federal level, the Chief Secretary seem to be impotent in telling the federal government to behave or do the right thing. Most times, it’s the elected leaders who is squeezing the CS crown jewels directing him to do his or rather the party and coalition’s bidding.

Try and see how the federal elected leader will react if the CS told him or rather advise him that the 1Malaysia logo is just another sloganeering that civil servants are really bored with each new administration asking the civil servants to parrot their slogans and all that, no?

But the CS is an obedient servant to the federal government of the day and he’d have to say salam 1Malaysia in his salutation becoz either he believes in it or he is merely following his ‘master’s’ bidding.

Does the PSD need to consult the Prime Minister if they propose a CS? Or can they say appoint without such consultation?

Let’s hope while the CS is right in defending his decision based on the law in the case of Selangor, the CS will also show his immense power in appointing other SS without consulting the respective Chief Minister or even goes against federal government directives if they are unjust, no?

Or like most things in our politician and the civil service in BolehLand, double standards and hypocrisy is part of the DNA culture of these fellos. Then there is really nothing one can do except to kow tow to the civil servants.

The public eyes have been opened to see how the civil servants behaved towards respected elected officials since March 2008. The top civil servants and SS seem to know their legal provisions, exercise them to the hilt in Pakatan states. We remember in Perak how eager and quick they were to chain up the SS during the Pakatan loss of power.

Kudos, well and good, if the civil servants are brave to not take sides and do what is right, just and fair But we hope they would show just as much enthuasiasm, gusto and bravery in the BN states as well as during previous State leaders, like our Toyo for example.

Wonder if the previous SS was doing his work and if he did, the corruption of the previous Selangor government qnd all those excesses would have been stopped, right?

If civil servants are so powerful and smart and can do their work independently, why the heck do we need state elections or a Chief Minister or even a Federal Government at all?

Are civil servants civil servants or have they also similarly got bigheaded and also see themselves as ‘ketuanan’ civil servants over elected officials and taxpayers and voters. Oh forgot, the public have been kow towing to them begging them to kerja rajin sikit boleh kah and take less tea breaks!

In this present SSS episode, the civil servants seem to have so much energy and fighting spirit to right the wrong and ensure that the law is preserved and protected. We hope they can also channel that much concentration, focus, energy and fighting spirit to be fair and efficient in their daily course of work to the public, yes?

If only the top brass civil servants show as much efficiency in their civil duties and directing their downliners to buck up, the public will really bow down to them for their honesty and integrity and not because of some legal provision that have been subverted 13 years ago, right huh?

courtesy of YAHMEH!!!