Money alone won’t transform civil service, quality counts

 

Kudos to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for overseeing a massive revamp of the civil service’s remuneration system which no government head dared to undertake for some 12 years, ostensibly on account of the huge bill it would have incurred.

Former prime minister Najib Razak came closest by revising the allowances of civil servants and dishing out special increments and bonuses every now and again.

Under Anwar’s overhaul, more than a million civil servants will see huge increases of between 7% and 40% in two phases beginning December this year, with some starting salaries set to increase substantially.

What was encouraging was the government’s decision to reduce the huge gap between the low earners and those at the top. For example, a fresh graduate teacher is placed in the DG41 grade, which presently pays a starting salary of RM2,188 per month.

According to the public service department’s (JPN) online calculator, that starting pay packet will rise to RM2,428 in the first phase of the revision at the end of this year. The second phase, which will take effect on Jan 1, 2026, will see it rise further to RM2,838. The additional RM900 they currently receive monthly in allowances will continue.

So, the jump in basic salary for a DG41 teacher will go up by nearly 30% in January 2026, with take-home pay rising to RM3,738 per month: not a bad start to reducing the income disparity that has been a bane for some time.

Civil servants must remember that on top of their salary, the government also contributes 17% of their basic wages each month to the Kumpulan Wang Pesaraan, or KWAP, towards pensions and gratuities payable when they retire.

They owe it to the government of the day, taxpayers and all other Malaysians to give only their best, and with a smile.

Critics have been quick to question the motives behind Anwar’s actions of late, both in terms of changes in policies and even humanitarian acts that ought to be applauded, such as bringing Palestinians into the country for medical treatment.

Netizens link everything to politics, either directly or indirectly. They say the prime minister is bending over backwards in search of the Malay vote ahead of the next general election.

Some contend that the huge pay rise for civil servants will benefit the Malay vote bank as 90% of civil servants and members of the security forces are from that race. Add their dependents and family members and the number runs to several million.

Critics claim the pay rise is intended to influence voters from this group into backing the government, seeing that the bulk of the Malay vote went to opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional at the last general election.

Anwar has no choice but to accept these criticisms as part and parcel of a democratic society with a vibrant social media on overdrive. Whether it is true or otherwise is another matter.

For ordinary Malaysians, these motives are beyond their control. All that they hope to see are tangible results from the substantial salary hike civil servants are getting.

Honestly, many Malaysians have had great experiences with the civil service which unfortunately go unreported.

Instead, we only tend to hear about the negative treatment received at government institutions. Unfortunately, that’s how it is. But it’s not wrong for taxpayers to expect to be treated promptly and respectfully. There have been cases of Malaysians being subjected to double standards in terms of service.

By and large, Malaysians who deal with the civil service want to see prompt approvals for a variety of applications made to government departments and agencies. In this day and age where most applications are processed online, it is no longer acceptable to have to wait several weeks for a reply.

The need for members of the public to show up at selected government departments, such as the immigration department, and at hospitals long before the opening hours must be looked at seriously. Short waits are acceptable as on-the-spot service is almost next to impossible, but having to wait half a day to be attended to is unacceptable.

Granted, these hospitals and departments deal with large numbers every day. This is where we need efficient planners, supervisors with foresight, an effective deployment of staff and efficient civil servants.

For this to happen, the government needs to attract the best into the civil service – not those who consider these jobs a last resort or others who want a secure pay cheque with a guaranteed pension but are not prepared to put in a proper shift.

Superiors must get rid of deadwood within their ranks instead of protecting them. Indeed, Anwar has warned heads of departments not to protect inefficient staff.

As far as possible, the civil service must be balanced to reflect the racial composition of the country, with promotions handed out based on merit and not solely on seniority. This will stop many civil servants from just marking time while awaiting their promotion, instead of working hard to secure a higher post.

Over time, only the best will be retained and rise to the right positions, making for a better civil service. If nothing else, Malaysians should be entitled to expect a better and more efficient civil service – one that is passionate about driving the nation to greater heights.

Obviously, no amount of money can buy these qualities. They must come from the heart, and out of love for the nation. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.