25 January 2007

Cuepacs doesn't want names in papers

GEORGE TOWN: Cuepacs has objected to the Public Service Department’s move to publish in the media the names, positions and addresses of civil servants who are absent without leave (AWOL).

President of the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services, Omar Osman, said the move would tarnish the government’s image, particularly its public service sector.

"This is not the right way to do it. It will create a bad name for the government, more so when it constantly harbours the desire to produce first-class civil servants.

"We are totally against the department publishing the names of these ‘missing’ civil servants," said Omar.

Omar said there were other ways of dealing with the officers.

"The PSD can always provide counselling to these officers. Alternatively, a tribunal can be set up to deal with them rather than publish their names in the newspapers which will be damaging to both the government’s image as well as the officer concerned," he said after a briefing with the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Kesatuan Kakitangan Am members.

Omar was commenting on the statement by PSD communications head Hasniah Abdul Rashid that the department would go public with the names of those who failed to report for work.

Hasniah had said on Monday that going AWOL topped the list of offences committed by civil servants.

Apparently, such cases happened almost on a daily basis. The errant civil servants could be absent because of their involvement in businesses, personal problems or they could be on drugs.

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