Orang Asli dept to increase manpower, offer higher job grades

 

Jakoa director-general Sapiah Nor said the department had presented recommendations on its restructuring to JPA early this year. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The Orang Asli development department (Jakoa) is working towards increasing its manpower while offering staff higher grades to enhance the department’s services to the Orang Asli community.

Jakoa director-general Sapiah Nor said most of the department’s officers were in Grade 22, which is among the bottom of the grade structure for civil servants, with the lowest being Grade 19.

Sapiah said Jakoa had presented recommendations on the department’s restructuring to the public services department (JPA) early this year.

The ministry in charge had also taken note of the department’s needs, but requested Jakoa to adjust its recommendations according to the current economic situation, she said.

“The ministry has been made aware of issues surrounding the lack of manpower and low grades.

“These will be emphasised in Jakoa’s 2022-2026 anti-corruption plan and 2023-2025 strategic plan.

“Both will be launched in the near future,” she told FMT.

Earlier, Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Nor had urged Putrajaya to reform Jakoa, saying it was in dire need of an overhaul as it had not been doing a good job of helping the community.

Ramli, a former police officer and the country’s first Orang Asli MP, said the department suffered from a lack of manpower while many who served in Jakoa were low-ranking civil servants, which made them incapable of handling high-value projects.

In the 2023 budget, Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government had allocated RM305 million for the development of the Orang Asli community. - FMT