Ariffin’s remarks inaccurate, says PSC

(The Star) - The Public Service Commission (PSC) has chided newly appointed DAP vice-chairman Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar for allegedly saying that corruption could be wiped out from the public service if it was not monopolised by one race.

News portal AntaraPos.com quoted Dr Ariffin as proposing a massive reshuffle in the police and civil service if Pakatan Rakyat took control of Putrajaya in the coming general election.

He was reported to have said at the recent party congress that corruption could be eradicated more effectively if the two sectors were not dominated by the Malays.

PSC chairman Tan Sri Mahmood Adam brushed off Dr Ariffin's re-marks as “inaccurate”.

“Don't just look at the surface, this is a war of perception we have to fight,” Mahmood said at the PSC office here yesterday.

He said the commission had embarked on a campaign to encourage more non-Malays to join the civil service and the police force.

“For about seven months, we have worked with various non-governmental organisations, as well as Chinese and Indian associations, and we have seen changes.

“There has been an increase in the number of non-Malays (interested in the civil sector) this year, probably more than five times (the previous trend),” Mahmood said, adding that he would unveil the figures next week.

He said the Malays made up the dominant group in the civil service because out of 1.2 million job applications received each year, 80% were from them.