Many ex-Spad staff mull quitting due to 'mismatched' positions - source

Many former employees of the decommissioned Land Public Transport Commission (Spad) are unhappy with their new job positions. 

A source, who is a former Spad staff, told Malaysiakini that many of them are considering resigning from their jobs, following a mismatch of their job scopes, coupled with up to 70 percent pay cut. 

Last week, The Star reported Transport Ministry secretary-general Mohd Khairul Adib Abdul Rahman saying that 80 percent of the former Spad employees have been successfully placed in their new jobs, according to a talent mapping exercise carried out by the Transport Ministry, following the commission's dissolution last year, which left 961 people jobless. 

The source, however, told Malaysiakini that the exercise was a rushed job and a "gargantuan failure."

"Many ex-Spad personnel are placed in divisions or departments which have nothing to do with their respective expertise or experience. 

"Some of them are now doing clerical jobs, and those who used to do back-end jobs are now thrown to the frontline, as tellers manning counters," he said. 

'No study conducted'

He added that the whole exercise was haywire, contrary to the ministry's claim that it was conducted after thorough personality and background checks of the staff involved. 

"The problem is, they did not conduct a proper study of the workers' previous job scopes, and what their experiences were. They sent some of them (to new positions) not befitting their previous designations. 

"Some with lesser experience and qualifications were even placed in higher positions," added the source.

According to the source, most of the Spad staff were not consulted before the replacement exercise was conducted. 

Malaysiakini has contacted the Transport Ministry for clarification.

A source from the ministry said that former Spad employees who have problems with fitting into their new jobs, can file a complaint with the ministry. 

"They can lodge a report to the ministry and even to the minister (Anthony Loke) himself if they think they are in an unsuitable position or department. Be more specific about their condition and we can look into it," he said.

Spad has now been replaced with the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad).

About RM23 million in compensation was paid to all the former Spad employees last month.  - Mkini