Why pay civil servants to use foreign languages abroad, ask analyst, MP

 

Azmi Hassan and Teresa Kok question rationale for taxpayers funding diplomats, civil servants for doing their jobs in foreign missions.

PETALING JAYA: An analyst and an MP are shocked that the government is giving an incentive allowance to civil servants for learning foreign languages and using it when serving abroad or going overseas for meetings.

They say the decision to increase such allowances by 30% is “baffling’ as it is coming at a time when Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is pushing for those on official duties abroad to use the Malay language unless it is unavoidable.

In a circular sighted by FMT, public service department head Shafiq Abdullah said the monthly allowance for those with intermediate certificates will be increased from RM150 a month to RM200 effective from Jan 1, 2023.

For those with advanced level qualifications, the allowance goes up from RM250 to RM300, Shafiq said in the circular issued last week.

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The languages that qualify for these allowances are Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, French, Russian, Spanish and the official languages of the countries they serve in. English has been excluded from the list.

Analyst Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara was shocked that there was such an incentive allowance and said the move also appeared to be at odds with Ismail’s push for greater use of Malay abroad.

“Why should the taxpayers fund them for doing their jobs abroad? The government already spends a lot on them when they are sent to work in Malaysian missions. They must first be competent in English and learn the foreign languages themselves as this will help them in their dealings.

“Look at US ambassador to Malaysia Brian Mcfeeters’s command of the Malay language. He picked it up during his first posting to Malaysia. Our diplomats should also learn the relevant languages before going abroad,” he told FMT.

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said the government was already spending a huge sum annually to maintain missions abroad.

“Also, is the prime minister aware that the PSD is encouraging civil servants abroad to speak foreign languages instead of the Malay language which he is pushing for?

“This is tantamount to the government mollycoddling the civil servants. They should be responsible enough to learn whatever languages needed before being posted or while serving overseas,” she said.

Kok then called for all diplomats and other staff serving abroad to brush up on their English instead, with Malaysian missions using the global lingua franca when communicating with foreign governments.

“This allowance was introduced in 2009. Now they want to increase it from next year. This should be stopped,” she added. - FMT