Don’t drag chief secretary into politics, Anwar told

 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should not have named chief secretary to the government Mohd Zuki Ali to attest that DAP never questioned government policies for the Malays and Muslims in cabinet meetings.

Bersatu legal and constitution bureau deputy chief Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif said dragging Zuki into an “obvious political matter” contradicts the civil service's neutrality.

“It is retrograde to excellent and efficient administration to compromise civil service impartiality in any manner whatsoever.

“As a senior political leader with years of government experience, Anwar should have known better than to do so.

“Delivery of services to the people is contingent upon a properly functioning civil service which transcends partisan politics,” Sasha Lyna said in a statement today.

As the chief secretary to the government, Zuki not only serves the government of the day but is also the leader of all civil servants.

As such, she said, Zuki must be seen as above reproach and scrupulously impartial towards any political party or figure.

Also, the survival of Zuki’s position depends on the prime minister's recommendation, so Sasha Lyna questioned whether the chief secretary can publicly disagree with Anwar.

“Anwar has certainly put the number one man in the civil service in a very awkward and tight spot,” she said.

It was reported that Anwar had said that Zuki can attest that DAP never questioned any government initiatives for the Malays, Muslims and the underprivileged during cabinet meetings over the last seven months.

Zuki attends cabinet meetings by virtue of his position as the chief secretary to the government. - Mkini