Daim to gov't: Start trusting civil workforce or you'll be 'dead'

Despite claims by the prime minister that a certain number of civil servants were out to undermine Pakatan Harapan’s rule, one of his closest advisers has called on the new government to start trusting them if it wished to ensure political longevity.

Daim Zainuddin, in an interview with Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP), went so far as to state the government would be “dead’ if it did not begin working together with the over 1.6 million-strong civil workforce.

“Now you are in government. When you are in government, you have to deliver. You cannot deliver by yourself. The civil servants are the implementers, not you.

“You plan policies, then you say (to the civil servants), take over. (When) You don’t trust them, they just sit down,” the former Council of Eminent Persons chairperson was quoted saying in the interview published today.

He claimed many civil servants have expressed their unhappiness over the extent of political appointments by ministers.

While not dismissing sabotage claims by the government, including by premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Daim said the trust deficit must be worked on.

Civil servants, he opined, were likely to back the government of the day even if they had only served one government up until the 14th general election.

He said: “That I don’t know (sabotage claims). But you have to work with (the civil servants). Without them […] you are dead.

“[...] The civil servants have been coming to see me. They say 'Oh, minister doesn’t trust me […]' and they (the political appointees) run the ministry.

“How can they run the ministry? They are outsiders. I have been telling the ministers the civil servants have been there since the British. When the British came here, they brought the civil service.

“And you try now to discard them? You cannot.”

The former finance minister during Mahathir’s first tenure as prime minister pointed out civil servants and their families were also voters.

“I have been telling them, you like it or not, there are 1.6 million civil servants. And we are paying them every day. Can you imagine? One, plus a wife. Plus one child. (There are votes there, so get them on your side or) you are in trouble. You know?” he reportedly said.

Daim remarks came just two days after Mahathir commented that certain quarters, including those in civil service, was unhappy with the current government due to the latter’s efforts to combat corruption.

“There are some who feel the government is not as good as the previous one because this government does not allow bribes.

“There are some who feel this government should not continue, but (the country) should go back to being a corrupt government which benefits them,” the premier had said.

He had previously made a similar claim, that a culture of sabotage existed among the civil service, in explaining the government’s move then to “clean up” government agencies and departments.

His deputy, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, had, in March, also reminded civil staff of different political affiliations to not sabotage the government, but serve the people. -Mkini