Mr Chief Secretary, it’s not gov’t but taxpayers who feed you

YOURSAY | ‘Ali Hamsa has no business asking civil servants to support Najib.’

Don't bite hand that feeds you because of lies, civil servants told

Ravinder: Very sorry, Mr Chief Secretary. Is it not a lie to make it appear that the money used to pay the salaries of civil servants belongs to the ruling coalition, BN?

That is what the threat to the civil servants “not to bite the hand that feeds you” implies.

How did all the revenue paid to the “government” become the property of BN? If all that money is not the property of BN, then how does the question of “not biting the hand that feeds you” arise?

Your salary comes from the taxes paid by the public. You are the public’s servant, not BN’s.

Quigonbond: The hand that feeds you come from moms and pops holding two jobs and paying taxes after toiling through health and sickness, sweat and at times, blood.

Civil servants should pay attention to the majority of rakyat who voted against the BN government in the last general election, and most importantly, do what is good for the country. The time for ‘menurut perintah’ (following orders) is over.

If the government chooses to punish civil servants for doing so, bring it to court because it is a form of discrimination.

Ipohcrite: Civil servants serve the rakyat and not the ruling party. Their salaries are paid by the rakyat through taxes collected from them.

The chief secretary is disingenuous in calling for civil servants to remain loyal to a government helmed by allegedly dishonest politicians who have turned Malaysia into one of the world's biggest kleptocracy.

PM Najib Razak's government has made the country the laughing stock of the world and the chief  secretary has no business asking the civil servants to support Najib. Instead, he should remain absolutely apolitical.

XED: Here is a civil servant who does not understand the difference between party and government. So, those who support BN or are members of Umno can remain in government service at the expense of the taxpayers?

Many taxpayers are not supporters of Umno. Why should taxpayers, especially those opposing Umno, have to pay for such civil servants, some of whom even undertake political work for Umno?

These political functionaries get taxpayer-provided money, make use of taxpayer-funded government facilities, and use their work hours for political work. In another country, one with greater respect for the rule of law, they would have ended up in prison for corruption, breach of trust, etc.

Odin Tajué: Yes, chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa, you are absolutely right in your urging of your (un)civil servants to support the government of the day. Where else can they find an employer as accommodating as the said government?

The said government takes money from those industrious, hardworking citizens to pay their ‘blind’ salaries. It allows them to have breakfast during office hours, and have a long mid-morning coffee break and mid-afternoon tea break in addition to their lunch break.

Where else can they regard Bell’s invention as a museum piece that can only be beholden but not touched? Where else can they allegedly steal up to hundreds of thousands and millions every year and go unpunished? Where else can they find guaranteed employment till their retirement age even if they produce nothing?

In your case, your unstinting support will, of course, ensure that, on your retirement, you will be either sent off as ambassador to some god forsaken country or given a senior position in a local entity of whatever genre.

Yes, one must ‘cari makan’. To find that ‘makan’, one must regard lies as truths, fairy tales as serious as holy scriptures.

Commentable: Ali Hamsa is barking up the wrong tree. He should be telling Najib (and his cabinet) not to bite the hand that voted for him. Don't take voters, including civil servants, for granted.

Allegedly siphoning billions of ringgit into his personal bank account that rightly belonged to the Malaysian people is simply not cool. It is detrimental to the country, of which all civil servants are part of.

To cover the missing billions by imposing GST (good and services tax), increasing tolls, petrol prices, etc, and removing subsidies have affected civil servants too. Have you read the shocking revelation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that more than 50% of those caught for corruption are civil servants under the age of 40?

It comes as no surprise. Like other law-abiding citizens, civil servants too have to make ends meet. Of course, some civil servants are like MO1 (Malaysian Official 1), devising ingenious ways to procure donations, and wishing donors will donate money into their bank account without their knowledge.

Fish rots from the head down. So if MO1 can do it, why not them?

Anonymous#007: Frankly, I find it insulting for Ali Hamsa to make such statements to civil servants, like they are retards who cannot think for themselves. He makes it seem like civil servants do not know that they have a constitutional right and the freedom to vote for any party or person they choose.

In a country with a functioning democracy and independent judiciary, this would be construed as vote-buying with public funds.

Nevertheless, he did say one thing that makes sense: "We (civil servants) need to support the government." And the government is any party that wins in a clean and legitimate election.

Anonymous 2436471476414726: Mr Chief Secretary, why do you treat civil servants like kids, incapable of thinking for themselves? Your reminder is distasteful as you are speaking like a politician.

The facilities and opportunities you are talking about all come from the rakyat and not Najib's personal bank account. You are asking the people to support an allegedly kleptocratic government.

What lies are being told about the government, pray tell us. The one who tell lies are those who sell to us Arabian tales. Whilst Najib dish out goodies to the civil servants, we also know he is the one who incurred national debts by tens of billions.

Future generations would have to pay for these debts. You must be out of your mind to ask the civil servants to support such a government.

Mushiro: Ali Hamsa is a ‘slave’ to Najib when he should be a ‘servant’ to the government.

Anonymous_3f94: If Ali Hamsa wishes to speak like a politician, he should resign as chief secretary, and become one. He can't have his cake and eat it too.

If other civil servants are not allowed to support opposition parties in their personal capacities, isn't Ali Hamsa not only contradicting himself by openly supporting BN, but also, abusing his position as chief secretary to endorse one political party and denounce those who support another?- Mkini