PETALING JAYA: Political analysts have welcomed the trend of former civil servants increasingly being fielded as election candidates, saying that they bring a wealth of valuable insights, skills and perspectives to the political arena.
Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia told FMT that political parties should continue to consider retired civil servants as future candidates.
They have valuable institutional knowledge and administrative expertise and a wealth of experience to bring to the table, he said, especially when dealing with the day-to-day issues faced by regular people.
Perikatan Nasional has recently fielded former government surgeon Dr Mazri Yahya in the Simpang Jeram by-election in Johor, just weeks after two other former civil servants stood for election.
Jamil Salleh, the former secretary-general of the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry, and Haim Hilman Abdullah, former vice-chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia, were PN candidates for the Dengkil (Selangor) and Jitra (Kedah) seats in the state assembly elections in August.
Azmil said retired high-ranking civil servants tend to be very active in their local communities, enjoying widespread recognition and influence, which can be a significant asset for the party.
Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, an analyst with the Bower Group Asia consultancy, said parties that field ex-civil servants in rural constituencies could garner additional support as government careers are highly respected in these communities, unlike in urban areas.
“For many in the villages, success means having a high-ranking government position,” he said.
Nandakumaran Kathirvaloo, who went into politics after 36 years as a school principal, said he did so because he wanted to contribute further to the nation building process.
He joined PKR after he retired and was the vice-president of the party’s Pahang branch until 2021.
“It is within our right to go into politics after serving the country as a civil servant,” he said. “Our wealth of experience and maturity in handling the government’s business can be of use to the nation.” - FMT
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