JPA chief Shafiq given the boot, say sources

 

A source said a letter of termination issued to Shafiq Abdulah today had nothing to do with the recent change of government. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The government is believed to have terminated the services of the director-general of public services, Shafiq Abdullah, from today.

According to informed sources, the action was taken at the recommendation of the disciplinary board, which made the decision before the 15th general election was called.

“But the previous government decided to wait for the elections to be over before taking action,” one source told FMT.

An image of a termination letter, purportedly the one issued to Shafiq, was posted on a Facebook page today by a group calling themselves Pakatan Harapan supporters.

The letter said Shafiq’s services were terminated in the public interest and he was subject to compulsory retirement under Section 49(3) of the Civil Service (Behaviour and Discipline) Regulations, and Section 10(5)(d) of the Pensions Act.

FMT is unable to verify if the letter is genuine.

In comments posted with the image, the group accused Shafiq of having threatened government officers in order to shut them up, promoting staff at his whims and fancies and dismissing some without reason. The group also accused then prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob of closing one eye to Shafiq’s transgressions.

Shafiq had been involved in controversy in August after an immigration officer complained that Shafiq had berated him in public. A high-level committee was later formed to carry out investigations.

However, it is not known if the action against him was related to the incident. An official complaint was lodged by the immigration department which led to an investigation ordered by the chief secretary to the government, Zuki Ali.

The investigation panel was headed by Attorney-General Idrus Harun and comprised the inspector-general of police, Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Azam Baki, and Auditor-General, Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid.

The committee made its recommendations in October but no details are available on its decision.

Shafiq was head of the Public Service Department (JPA), the federal government’s central agency for the management of the country’s various public services.

He had been secretary-general of the health ministry before being appointed to the JPA in February.

FMT is seeking comment from Shafiq. - FMT