DIPLOMATIC DEALINGS: Reclaiming our image and esteem

NST

WHEN I covered Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's visit to the United Nations in 1993, I was surprised that New York taxi drivers knew his name or were aware that a country called Malaysia existed.

Tun Omar Ong Yoke Lin

Datuk Albert Talalla

Much of that came about because of the former prime minister's international profile as the leader of the South -- asking for no quarter and giving none.

Even as Dr Mahathir took a tough stance on most issues, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had his softer style as foreign minister which worked in tandem with his boss' ways.

Their styles constituted an unbeatable combination that took Malaysia places, taking the nation to the apex of international opinion and influence.

While the two leaders were working their magic on the global arena, there was a corp of dedicated and astute diplomatic officials working behind the scene to deliver the goods.
They were Malaysian ambassadors, a group of people hand-picked to bring glory and honour to the nation.

There were the likes of the jocular Tan Sri Khir Johari, a charmer who could have people eating out of his hands in minutes, the quick-witted Datuk Abdul Majid Mohamed (Malaysian ambassador to Washington in the early 1990s), and quieter but no less interesting Tan Sri Razali Ismail, who was the Malaysian Permanent Representative to the UN.

Together, they had the ears of the people who mattered in Washington and New York, their sophistication in matters of diplomacy added to natural congeniality resulting in a potent mix that few could resist.

They were plenipotentiaries of Malaysia, the likes of whom, I am told, may not be seen for sometime to come.

It, therefore, comes as a shock to know that Malaysia has not had an ambassador in Washington for 10 months and that little headway has been made in bringing Malaysia in touch with the Obama administration (Barack Obama has been in office for 100 days).

Former Malaysian ambassador, Datuk Deva Mohd Ridzam, had call to lament this sad state of affairs recently, calling for the situation to be put right post-haste.

His observation that foreign relations have been little short of lacklustre over the last decade ties in with opinion among several retired diplomats and former civil servants who have decried the loss of a strong foreign policy.

Some of this had to do with the quality of men and women selected to head our missions, what with complaints from some that Malaysian diplomats sometimes preferred to take a backseat at public discussions.

There have also been observations that some diplomats cringed at the thought of interacting with foreigners due to a lack of confidence brought about by a paucity in social skills and lack of fluency in English.

Centre for Public Policy Studies chairman at the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, felt that there was a crying need for better people to get into foreign service.

The former Transport Ministry secretary-general said diplomats needed to be fluent in English, have excellent social skills and be on the ball where knowledge of international relations was required.

Former member of the Malaysian diplomatic corp, Datuk Nelson Arputham, said he was among several recruited into the diplomatic service from other departments in the 1960s.

Arputham said the diplomatic service should recruit only the best minds as was the case after independence.

"We had the likes of Tun Ong Yoke Lin, who was one of the best ambassadors to the US (concurrently United Nations), who is known to have had excellent ties with the US media and administration."

There were others like Tan Sri Ahmad Kamil Jaafar, Datuk Albert Talalla (former ambassador to the US), and Tan Sri Mohamed Khatib Abdul Hamid who headed the mission in Tokyo .

All this leaves new Foreign Minister, Datuk Anifah Aman, with a lot on his plate.

He has to sit down with his officers and review foreign policy initiatives with a view towards making it consistent, effective and helpful to the nation. In the worst of economic times like this, our men and women in missions abroad must shine in identifying opportunities for the nation to exploit.

They can also play an effective role in helping Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Anifah come up with policies that meet the needs of foreign nations in the economic, social and political spheres.

In a nutshell, isn't this, after all, why they are abroad representing the nation?

Anifah has also got to look into Najib's call to Wisma Putra to look outside the diplomatic service for the best minds. The prime minister was crystal clear when he said that the civil service should hire the "best of the best".

Anifah should take the cue to cast his net far and wide. He should then set about raising the stature of the diplomatic service to be on par with the best in the world -- like we were before. He needs to relook things with a critical eye aimed at taking Wisma Putra back to where it was before ennui took over.

It is imperative that the Wisma Putra team (it has to be a joint effort) puts its best foot forward to reclaim lost territory abroad in terms of image and esteem. And what better time than now with a new minister in office?

bmoses@nst.com.my

Menteri jawab doktor merintih

Utusan Online

Oleh YANG CHIN MEE
pengarang@utusan.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR 1 Mei - Kes rintihan seorang doktor yang terlalu penat akibat menjalankan tugas panggilan aktif (on call) melebihi 24 jam tanpa henti jarang berlaku di hospital kerajaan.

Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai berkata, kes itu adalah terpencil dan ia mungkin terjadi di sesetengah hospital kerajaan yang kekurangan kakitangan perubatan.

Bagaimanapun, beliau menjelaskan, setiap doktor yang diminta bertugas secara on call diperuntukkan masa berehat dalam tempoh tugasannya.

"Sekiranya berasa terlalu penat, mereka dibenarkan untuk berehat.

"Selain itu, hospital kerajaan mempunyai prosedur di mana setiap doktor hanya perlu bertugas secara on call sekali atau maksimum dua kali dalam masa seminggu,'' jelasnya.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada Utusan Malaysia bagi mengulas rintihan seorang doktor yang mendakwa terlalu penat selepas menjalankan tugas on call selama 36 jam dan hanya dapat tidur selama sejam dua melalui ruangan Forum Utusan Malaysia hari ini.

Tiong Lai menambah, doktor terbabit berhak untuk memohon berehat sehari selepas menjalankan tugasnya.

Oleh itu, katanya, tidak timbul masalah bagi mereka yang perlu bertugas secara on-call.

Dalam pada itu, katanya, doktor berkenaan berhak membuat aduan sekiranya tidak berpuas hati dengan aturan itu.

"Kerajaan atau pihak pengurusan hospital tidak berhak memaksa doktor bekerja melebihi masa yang sepatutnya.

"Sekiranya terdapat mana-mana pihak yang tidak puas hati dan berasa hak mereka dirampas, maka mereka boleh membuat aduan kepada kementerian," katanya.

Ditanya mengenai usaha kerajaan untuk meningkatkan bilangan doktor dalam menangani masalah kekurangan doktor di hospital kerajaan, Tiong Lai berkata:

"Kami sedang berusaha mengambil lebih ramai doktor dari luar negara untuk berkhidmat di hospital kerajaan.

"Masalah kekurangan doktor ini bukan satu masalah yang dapat diselesaikan dalam masa singkat, tetapi kami yakin bahawa ia dapat diperbaiki dalam tahun ini," jelasnya.

Pengorbanan ikhlas doktor jarang dihargai

Berita Harian

SEBAGAI doktor yang sudah berkhidmat dengan masyarakat selama lima tahun, hati kecil saya sangat sedih dengan kecaman masyarakat yang selalu mencerca kami. Mungkin masyarakat tidak mengenal dunia kami seutuhnya. Mungkin masyarakat menganggap pekerjaan kami ini penuh glamor seperti digambarkan dalam drama yang disiarkan di televisyen. Tiada media atau drama yang memberi gambaran sebenar.

Sejak hari pertama menjejakkan kaki di Fakulti Perubatan, semua kami mempunyai cita-cita untuk membantu masyarakat dengan memberi layanan kesihatan terbaik. Enam tahun bertungkus-lumus menimba ilmu siang dan malam untuk mempersiapkan diri mendampingi masyarakat nanti. Tiada waktu untuk bersuka ria seperti kawan di fakulti lain.

Kami harus berusaha jadi yang terbaik daripada yang terbaik. Tiada ruang untuk gagal dan banyak daripada teman kami terkandas di tengah jalan, malah ada yang gila tidak mampu bertahan dengan tekanan ketika belajar.

Untuk mendapat tempat di Fakulti Perubatan sangat susah tetapi untuk meneruskan pengajian sehingga selesai pengajian berkali ganda susahnya. Selepas selesai pengajian, menjejakkan kaki di alam pekerjaan sebagai doktor, hidup ini bagaikan tidak ada lagi. Dua tahun tidak dapat melihat matahari kerana sudah masuk bekerja pada jam 5.30 pagi dan habis bekerja sehingga 9 malam.

Makan tidak menentu, kadang-kadang makan daripada makanan pesakit yang berlebihan dengan keadaan terburu-buru, pakaian pun tidak berganti dan ibadat pun tunggang-langgang. Tidak tidur sampai 36 jam adalah perkara biasa bagi kami. Hari Sabtu atau Ahad tiada maknanya bagi kami. Isteri dan anak pun tidak dipedulikan. Namun kami tetap tabahkan hati untuk masyarakat. Apa masyarakat pernah untuk melihat semua itu? Berapa nyawa yang kami selamatkan setiap hari pernah dihitung? Bagaimana dengan datuk, nenek, ayah, emak, kakak, abang, adik dan saudara mara yang diubati oleh tangan kami pernah dinilai? Bagaimana bayi yang baru lahir ke dunia ini disambut dengan penuh kasih sayang oleh kami, pernah dihargai?

Tidak ada yang peduli pada apa yang kami lakukan, semua yang buruk diperbesar-besarkan. Kesalahan yang sentiasa dicari, peguam bagaikan 'jerung lapar' yang menanti untuk membaham kami. Media beratur-atur mencari berita sensasi tanpa perlu menyiasat kebenarannya. Seolah-olah kami ini tidak letih, tidak tidur, tidak makan, tidak memerlukan waktu untuk berehat atau pun sekadar melelapkan mata sekejap.

Apa yang kami berikan untuk masyarakat adalah yang paling ikhlas. Tiada sambutan hari doktor perlu diadakan sebagai bukti atas keikhlasan kami pada masyarakat. Harapan pada teman seperjuangan, marilah kita terus berusaha untuk meningkatkan iltizam demi kesucian profesion kita sebagai doktor. Ingatlah selalu sumpah Hippocrates.

SUARA DOKTOR,
Pahang.

Soalan TK1, TK2 Gred C17 dibatal

Berita Harian

KEMENTERIAN Pelajaran ingin merujuk surat 'Sumazau Team' Keningau, Sabah mengenai 'Soalan PTK mengelirukan' yang disiarkan ruangan ini, 9 April lalu.

Pengadu inginkan penjelasan berhubung soalan peperiksaan Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan (PTK) sesi Ogos 2008 dan sesi Mac 2009 bagi Kertas TK1 dan TK2 Pembantu Makmal Gred C17 yang dikendalikan Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM), Kementerian Pelajaran.

Soalan yang digubal didapati menggunakan Pekeliling Perbendaharaan yang terdahulu dan perkara ini dikesan MPM ketika sesi Validasi Kunci Jawapan pada kedua-dua sesi peperiksaan berkenaan. Bagi memberi keadilan kepada calon, soalan berkenaan dibatalkan dan tidak diambil kira dalam pengiraan markah agar calon tidak kerugian atau menjadi mangsa.

Sebagai usaha penambahbaikan, Bahagian Pembangunan dan Penilaian Kompetensi sedang menyemak semula sukatan peperiksaan PTK sedia ada dan penggubalan item bagi sesi Ogos 2009 dengan mengambil kira perubahan pindaan Akta/ Pekeliling dari semasa ke semasa.

RUBAAYAH OSMAN,
Ketua Pegawai Perhubungan Awam,
Kementerian Pelajaran.

Aduan awam biar ikut saluran

Berita Harian

KITA sering membaca pelbagai aduan ketidakpuasan hati di kalangan orang ramai terhadap jabatan kerajaan melalui ruangan akhbar. Bagi si pengadu tindakan menghantar aduan itu adalah jalan terbaik untuk melepaskan marah kerana rasa tidak puas hati.

Memang ramai yang menyokong tindakan si pengadu ini yang bertindak bijak dengan menghebahkan aduan itu melalui akhbar. Di sebalik semua itu, adakah dengan berbuat demikian masalah yang diadukan itu akan selesai? Rasanya adalah lebih elok jika rasa tidak puas hati itu diadukan melalui saluran tertentu di jabatan berkenaan. Selain tidak menghebahkan di media massa si pengadu juga boleh duduk berbincang serta memberikan idea atau pandangan bagaimana cara untuk mengatasi masalah rasa tidak puas hati yang dialaminya.

Diharapkan kepada mereka yang di luar sana, berfikirlah dulu dengan rasional sebelum sesuatu tindakan diambil. Kita juga perlu ingat bahawa tiada manusia atau jabatan yang sempurna dari pelbagai aspek, sedikit sebanyak pasti ada cacat celanya.

Oleh yang demikian marilah bersama-sama menjadikan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara maju bukan saja dari aspek pembangunan tetapi juga maju dari segi pemikiran rakyatnya.

HALIF DIMEN,
Jerantut,
Pahang.

Doktor tak tahan beban kerja dinasihat berhenti

Berita Harian

Pegawai perubatan perlu tunai kerja lebih masa dengan berkesan

KUALA LUMPUR: Doktor yang merungut atau tidak tahan dengan bebanan kerja tambahan berikutan kekurangan doktor di hospital kerajaan ketika ini, dinasihatkan supaya berhenti kerja.

Presiden Majlis Perubatan Malaysia (MMC), Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican, berkata setiap doktor perlu melaksanakan tugas dengan berkesan walaupun terpaksa bekerja lebih masa kerana menjadi tanggungjawab mereka memberi perkhidmatan terbaik kepada masyarakat.

"Jika mereka merungut atau tidak tahan dengan tanggungjawab yang digalas ini, saya rasa lebih baik mereka berhenti kerja saja.

"Walaupun mereka bekerja lebih masa, kita tetap memperuntukkan waktu rehat sama ada sebelah petang mahupun pagi dan ia perlu dimanfaatkan sebaik mungkin," katanya kepada Berita Harian, semalam.

Dr Mohd Ismail yang juga ketua Pengarah Kesihatan mengakui kekurangan doktor di hospital kerajaan kini menjadi punca perkhidmatan ditawarkan di hospital kerajaan kurang disenangi orang ramai terutama pesakit.

Namun, katanya, ia bukan alasan untuk pengamal perubatan terbabit memberi perkhidmatan kurang memuaskan.

"Kita sedar kerajaan hanya mampu menyediakan 53 peratus saja bilangan doktor berbanding keperluan semasa. Oleh itu, sememangnya doktor yang ada sekarang terpaksa bekerja lebih masa dan saya berharap mereka dapat melaksanakannya dengan penuh tanggungjawab," katanya.

Baru-baru ini, akhbar melaporkan dua doktor di jabatan kecemasan Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) ditangkap `curi tulang' dengan membaca akhbar dan melakukan kerja peribadi oleh Timbalan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk M Saravanan, ketika lebih 20 pesakit menunggu untuk mendapatkan rawatan..

Berikutan itu, pelbagai pihak termasuk pesakit tampil menyatakan rasa kesal dengan perkhidmatan diberikan ekoran terpaksa menunggu terlalu lama sehingga ada yang melebihi dua jam untuk mendapatkan rawatan di Jabatan Kecemasan hospital kerajaan.

Ekoran itu juga segelintir doktor tampil memperbetulkan keadaan dengan meluahkan perasaan akan kepenatan mereka kerana terpaksa bekerja lebih masa dan merawat sekurang-kurang 30 pesakit sehari ekoran kekurangan doktor.

Dr Mohd Ismail berkata, kerajaan berusaha menangani masalah itu dengan menambah bilangan doktor, termasuk secara kontrak dan melonggarkan beberapa syarat pengambilan.

Katanya, kerajaan bukan saja berusaha menambah bilangan doktor, malah kakitangan perubatan lain, termasuk jururawat.

SPRM sahkan siasat bekas ketua setiausaha

Harian Metro

PUTRAJAYA: Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), mengesahkan sedang menyiasat seorang bekas Ketua Setiausaha sebuah kementerian atas dakwaan menerima sogokan lebih RM50,000 daripada sebuah syarikat, baru-baru ini.

Timbalan Pesuruhjaya SPRM, Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed, berkata kertas siasatan itu kini berada pada peringkat akhir.

"Memang kami sedang menyiasat kes berkenaan. Tidak ada sesiapa lain yang ditahan, hanya dia seorang," katanya ketika dihubungi di sini, hari ini.

CUEPACS sambut baik

KUALA LUMPUR 29 April – Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Di Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) yang mewakili 1.3 juta kakitangan kerajaan menyambut baik cadangan pembaharuan oleh Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dalam sektor itu.

Presidennya, Omar Osman berkata, pembaharuan itu akan memberi cabaran baru kepada kesemua kakitangan awam untuk terus menawarkan perkhidmatan terbaik kepada pelanggan iaitu rakyat.

“Kita terima dengan terbuka segala pembaharuan yang mahu dilaksanakan.

“Pembaharuan yang dicadangkan Perdana Menteri itu memberi motivasi baru kepada kita untuk terus memberi khidmat terbaik,” katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Beliau mengulas cadangan Perdana Menteri semalam untuk melaksanakan pembaharuan perkhidmatan sektor itu termasuk membuka jawatan utamanya kepada bakat-bakat dari sektor swasta dan perkhidmatan lain termasuk syarikat milik kerajaan (GLC).

Menurut Najib, cadangan mengenai sistem kemasukan pelbagai peringkat ke dalam perkhidmatan awam itu akan dapat memanfaatkan proses keterampilan bersilang antara bakat-bakat sektor awam dan swasta serta GLC.

Perdana Menteri turut mencadangkan dasar pintu terbuka dengan pegawai-pegawai perkhidmatan awam boleh dipinjamkan ke GLC dan sebaliknya untuk saling menimba ilmu.

Omar berkata, cadangan kemasukan itu amat dialu-alukan bagi membolehkan perkhidmatan awam diperkukuhkan namun berharap sistem tersebut tidak akan menjejaskan peluang kenaikan pangkat kakitangan awam sedia ada.

“Jika kemasukan pegawai daripada GLC umpamanya menyekat peluang kakitangan dalaman untuk naik, maka sesuatu perlu dilakukan.

“Kita juga perlu mengetahui mekanisme bagaimana yang akan dilaksanakan dalam pengambilan pegawai-pegawai luar itu,” katanya.

Struktur gaji pengetua, penolong kanan perlu disemak

Berita Harian

Pendapatan pegawai pengurusan sekolah masih rendah berbanding gred khas Guru Cemerlang DG52 KUP

PERKHIDMATAN lebih lima tahun Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein di Kementerian Pelajaran meninggalkan nota gembira untuk sebahagian besar guru, khususnya memberi kenaikan pangkat atau gred jawatan lebih tinggi menerusi penstrukturan semula kementerian berkenaan.

Antaranya elaun kritikal dikembalikan semula, guru atau Pegawai Perkhidmatan Pendidikan Bukan Siswazah menerima kenaikan satu tangga gaji ke DG41 selepas mendapat ijazah dan guru DG41 yang mengajar di Tingkatan Enam selama tiga tahun dinaikkan ke DG44.

Namun, di sebalik keriangan itu, penstrukturan semula berkenaan terlepas pandang terhadap pegawai pengurusan sekolah kerana mereka tidak menerima sebarang tempias.

Pengetua dan penolong kanan yang menjadi penggerak utama untuk menjayakan semua dasar, wawasan dan strategi Kementerian Pelajaran 'agak tersepit' dari segi gred jawatan selepas penstrukturan berkenaan.

Perbincangan penulis dengan beberapa pengetua dan penolong kanan menunjukkan sejak 2000 hingga sekarang, pengisian jawatan pengetua baru dan penolong kanan sekolah menengah bukan lagi proses kenaikan pangkat.

Hampir semua pengetua yang dilantik selepas tahun berkenaan adalah daripada kalangan Pegawai Perkhidmatan Pendidikan Siswazah (PPPS) gred DG48 Khas Untuk Penyandang (KUP).

Ironinya, pengetua yang dilantik rata-rata adalah PPPS yang sudah dinaikkan gred ke DG48 secara KUP, walaupun gred jawatan pengetua adalah DG48 secara hakiki.

Bahagian Sumber Manusia Kementerian Pelajaran, satu-satunya jabatan yang dimonopoli sepenuhnya kumpulan Pegawai Tadbir dan Diplomatik (PTD) yang mengurus proses kenaikan pangkat pegawai perkhidmatan pendidikan, hanya perlu menukar status DG48 (KUP) kepada DG48 (Hakiki) ketika melantik PPPS menjadi pengetua.

Selesai proses itu, pegawai berkenaan mendapat elaun pengetua sebanyak RM150 sebulan. Tangga gaji dan elaun lain kekal seperti ketika mereka menyandang jawatan guru DG48 KUP. Lebih malang, pengetua baru yang dilantik di sekolah yang ada kemudahan kuarters pengetua, elaun rumah mereka dipotong separuh kepada RM350 kerana pengetua diwajibkan tinggal di kuarters.

Elaun Cola juga turut berkurangan separuh mengikut kategori tempat bertugas. Kementerian Pelajaran dapat menjimatkan kos jika kenaikan pangkat pengetua diteruskan dengan kaedah sekarang seperti yang ditetapkan oleh PTD.

Namun, kesannya ialah ramai calon pengetua yang berkelayakan dan berwibawa menolak tawaran dilantik sebagai pengetua hingga sanggup bertugas sebagai penolong kanan atau guru biasa hingga pencen.

Rasionalnya, mereka tidak mahu memikul beban tugas pentadbiran yang berat sedangkan faedahnya tidak setimpal, malah imbuhan kewangan semakin susut.

Ini bertentangan dengan amalan Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam atau agensi kerajaan lain bahawa penentuan kadar gaji pegawai berpegang kepada prinsip semakin berat beban tugas dan tanggungjawab, semakin tinggi kadar upahnya.

Pengetua DG48 sudah tentu 'segan-segan' kerana di sekolah utama, biasanya ada seorang hingga lebih 10 guru DG48 KUP, guru biasa yang sama gred jawatan dengannya. Pengetua ini akan diaibkan (secara sengaja atau sebaliknya) jika ada guru sekolahnya dalam gred khas Guru Cemerlang DG52 KUP, DG54 KUP atau Gred Khas Jusa C (KUP).

Dengan itu, ramai yang menolak dilantik pengetua dan berlaku amalan tangkap muat untuk mengisi kekosongan jawatan, iaitu mencalonkan mana-mana guru DG48 (KUP) yang berminat tetapi kurang berkualiti untuk mengisi jawatan pengetua baru.

Berikutan amalan tidak sihat itu, dalam sesetengah kes, masih ada pengetua yang dilantik masih menyandang DG44. Ini akan menjejaskan mutu perkhidmatan pendidikan untuk pelajar kerana pengurusan sekolah diserahkan kepada pemimpin yang kurang berwibawa.

Secara ringkas, pelantikan pengetua bukanlah proses kenaikan pangkat, bahkan mereka 'didera' untuk kekal lama dalam satu tangga gaji. Ini disebabkan, PPPS perlu melalui tempoh perkhidmatan minimum sehingga 20 tahun sebelum menyandang gred DG48 KUP (10 tahun berada di gred DG44 dan 10 tahun DG44).

Berbanding dengan perkhidmatan lain seperti PTD yang hanya memerlukan tempoh tiga tahun berkhidmat dalam gred M41 sebelum dinaikkan ke gred M44 dan dua hingga tiga tahun berikutnya untuk dinaikkan ke gred M48 (keseluruhannya enam tahun saja).

Penolong kanan juga hampir sama keadaannya dengan pengetua dari segi gred jawatan.

Di sekolah menengah, biasanya ada tiga orang penolong kanan, iaitu penolong kanan pentadbiran dan akademik (DG44), penolong kanan hal ehwal murid (DG44) dan penolong kanan kokurikulum (DG41).

Penolong kanan adalah pegawai yang paling penting di sekolah dalam menggerakkan pentadbiran sekolah dari aspek pengurusan, akademik, pengurusan hal ehwal murid, mahupun aktiviti kokurikulum. Seperti juga perjawatan pengetua, gred jawatan penolong kanan setara dengan guru biasa, iaitu DG44.

Malah, sebelum menjawat jawatan penolong kanan, PPPS dari segi amalannya akan mendapat gred DG44 KUP terlebih dulu selepas berkhidmat melebihi 10 tahun dan lulus Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan. Jika dibandingkan dengan guru mata pelajaran yang mengajar Tingkatan Enam, ternyata gred jawatan penolong kanan sangat rendah.

Guru Tingkatan Enam hanya perlu tiga tahun berada di Gred DG41 dan tiga tahun pengalaman mengajar subjek Tingkatan Enam sebelum dinaikkan pangkat ke gred ke DG44. Penolong kanan perlu melalui tempoh perkhidmatan 10 tahun sebelum dilantik sebagai pentadbir sekolah.

Dari segi bebanan kerja, biasanya penolong kanan terpaksa pulang lewat petang untuk menyiapkan tugas pentadbiran, sedangkan guru Tingkatan Enam boleh pulang selewat-lewatnya 3 petang selepas selesai waktu persekolahan.

Mengikut amalan Kementerian Pelajaran sekarang, seseorang penolong kanan hanya akan dinaikkan pangkat ke jawatan pengetua selepas mendapat gred DG48 KUP ketika memegang jawatan penolong kanan dengan gred sama DG48 dengan ditambah perkataan 'hakiki' saja.

Ini juga bermakna tiada kenaikan pangkat untuk guru DG44 yang dilantik sebagai Penolong Kanan. Penolong kanan adalah penggerak kepada sekolah kerana mereka akan melaksanakan arahan pengetua, menjalankan tugas pengetua ketika ketiadaannya, mewakili pengetua ke mesyuarat atau majlis rasmi, merancang dan melaksanakan program akademik, mengurus kewangan dan stok sekolah, mengurus hal ehwal akademik, hal ehwal murid, kokurikulum, asrama, perancangan prasarana dan sumber manusia, mengajar sebilangan waktu yang ditetapkan dan pelbagai tugas yang semakin bertambah saban hari.

Memetik kata Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dalam ucapan selepas mengangkat sumpah jawatan pada 3 April lalu:

"Justeru itulah, sepanjang khidmat awam saya, pentingnya aspek keberhasilan sentiasa ditekankan. Sama ada melalui kemudahan yang lebih selesa bagi pendidik, meningkatkan kualiti hidup perwira tanah air, mahupun dalam memperkasa ekonomi bagi memelihara kesejahteraan rakyat di saat kita menghadapi cabaran ekonomi global."

Timbalannya, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yang juga Menteri Pelajaran yang baru sudah tentu mempunyai formula membetulkan nasib pengetua dan penolong kanan daripada terus diaibkan dalam keadaan sekarang.

Beri peluang veteran naik pangkat

Utusan Online

ALAF baru menyaksikan ramai staf veteran seperti saya dan seangkatan berlumba-lumba menyambung pengajian baik di peringkat diploma, sarjana muda, sarjana dan juga PhD. Tetapi dari segi kenaikan pangkat, kami kecundang.

Keputusan temuduga tidak langsung memihak kepada kami tetapi lebih kepada generasi muda yang baru keluar universiti. Usia mereka pula separuh daripada usia kami. Tahun demi tahun usia bagi memohon kenaikan pangkat juga akhirnya sudah tiada lagi, dengan kata lain terlebih umur.

Saya harap pihak berwajib sama ada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia (JPA) mahupun Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia (SPA) beri perhatian sewajarnya mengenai isu ini.

Misalnya, seorang staf sokongan mempunyai kelayakan dan pengalaman luas dalam bidang pentadbiran boleh terus memohon kenaikan ke N44, bukan setakat N41.

Saya merayu agar pihak berwajib tidak mengabaikan kami. Berilah kami peluang menggunakan segala pengalaman yang ada, ditambah dengan segulung ijazah, untuk terus memberi perkhidmatan cemerlang kepada institusi tercinta khasnya dan negara amnya.

CALON SARJANA TUA

Kuala Lumpur

SPA diminta utamakan pekerja berpengalaman isi kekosongan

Berita Harian

SAYA ingin merujuk surat 'Insan Kecewa,' Puchong bertajuk, 'SPA patut utamakan pekerja berpengalaman isi jawatan kosong' yang disiarkan ruangan ini, 29 April lalu. Sebagai kakitangan awam yang sudah 15 tahun berkhidmat, saya menyokong pandangan penulis yang meminta Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam (SPA) membuat kajian semula terhadap pengambilan calon yang benar-benar layak untuk mengisi kekosongan.

Tahun ini, terlalu ramai kakitangan yang dilantik SPA daripada golongan muda dan baru tamat pengajian. Wajarkah semua kakitangan yang dilantik ini daripada golongan muda? Ke manakah perginya golongan berpengalaman?

Adakah mereka tidak layak mengisi kekosongan di SPA? Sebaliknya, mereka yang berpengalaman inilah yang amat diperlukan bagi meningkatkan kemajuan kerja di jabatan kerajaan. Golongan muda dan mentah ini perlu pendedahan kerja terlebih dulu di sektor swasta kerana mereka baru melangkah ke dunia pekerjaan dan tidak mempunyai kepakaran serta sukar membuat keputusan.

Sekarang ramai pekerja muda dan baru ini datang ke pejabat hanya bermain komputer, melayari internet, berborak dan sebelum waktu rehat sudah meninggalkan pejabat dan lewat masuk semula.

Ada juga kakitangan muda yang tidak menghormati orang lebih tua ketika mesyuarat. Mereka hanya membuat kerja hanya selepas menerima arahan pihak atasan. Adakah ini dikatakan kakitangan yang layak untuk mengisi jawatan di sektor kerajaan?

Berbeza dengan kakitangan yang berkhidmat dengan syarikat swasta, mereka bekerja sepenuh hati tanpa disuruh dan waktu rehat adalah terhad, malah kadangkala tidak ada masa untuk berehat atau makan hanya kerana untuk menyiapkan kerja dalam tempoh diberikan. Oleh itu, saya menyokong pandangan ‘Insan Kecewa,’ iaitu SPA harus memberikan keutamaan terlebih dulu kepada pekerja berpengalaman bagi mengukuhkan lagi jabatan kerajaan di negara ini.

AZMI,
Cheras,
Kuala Lumpur.

Peraturan kerja separa masa dilaksana bulan depan

Berita Harian

MELAKA: Kementerian Sumber Manusia menjangkakan Peraturan Kerja Separa Masa untuk pekerja sektor awam dan swasta bekerja selepas waktu kerja dapat dilaksanakan pada bulan depan.

Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Dr S Subramaniam, berkata kementeriannya kini di peringkat akhir menggubal peraturan itu di bawah Akta Kerja 1955.

"Sebelum ini, kerajaan telah membenarkan pekerja sektor awam untuk bekerja separa masa tetapi tidak ada peraturan khusus mengenainya hingga menimbulkan beberapa isu," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Sambutan Hari Pekerja Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (Cuepacs) di sini, hari ini.

Turut hadir, Presiden Cuepacs, Omar Osman dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pengangkutan, Penerangan dan Pengguna Negeri, R Perumal.

Dr Subramaniam berkata isu berkenaan antaranya berkaitan caruman Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP), caruman Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (Perkeso), bayaran kerja lebih masa dan cuti sakit.

Peraturan itu digubal antaranya bagi menetapkan peraturan berkaitan penggajian pekerja separa masa, menentukan faedah minimum kepada pekerja separa masa, mengurangkan pergantungan majikan kepada pekerja asing dan menggalakkan penyertaan tenaga kerja terbiar, katanya.

Beliau berkata kebenaran untuk kerja separa masa itu bagi membantu pekerja yang berpendapatan rendah untuk menambah pendapatan.

Sementara itu, Omar berkata Cuepacs memohon kepada kerajaan supaya membuat penambahbaikkan terhadap skim perjawatan bagi memberi peluang yang lebih baik dalam kenaikan pangkat.

Katanya jawatan berkenaan termasuk operator pemprosesan data, pembantu tadbir rendah dan operator mesin.

"Cuepacs juga meminta kerajaan memberi insentif khas kepada kakitangan yang berkhidmat tengah malam iaitu 12 tengah malam hingga 6 pagi supaya mereka ini lebih selesa bekerja dan tahap kesihatan mereka terjamin," katanya.

Omar turut berharap dapat bertemu dengan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak sebelum 14 Mei ini bagi mengemukakan beberapa perkara berkaitan kebajikan kakitangan sektor awam.

Beliau berkata surat untuk pertemuan itu telah dihantar tiga minggu lepas dan masih belum mendapat jawapan. - Bernama

SPA patut utamakan pekerja pengalaman isi jawatan kosong

Berita Harian

SAYA pemohon yang berdaftar di Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia (SPA) sejak 2004 tetapi belum dipanggil untuk temu duga sehingga kini. Saya tamat pengajian daripada institut pengajian tinggi awam (IPTA) pada 2003 tetapi keputusan tidak begitu cemerlang dan kini bekerja di sektor swasta yang boleh dikatakan berpengaruh di Malaysia dan antarabangsa.

Saya berterima kasih dan gembira apabila Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak membentangkan bajet mini tahun ini antara lain menyatakan 63,000 pegawai kontrak akan diisi dalam agensi awam. Bagaimanapun, apa yang ingin saya persoalkan ialah sistem pengambilan pekerja yang dilaksanakan SPA selama ini. Adakah SPA hanya mengambil calon yang mempunyai keutamaan atau cuma sekadar melepaskan batuk di tangga.

Hari ini, saya sebagai rakyat Malaysia melihat ramai kakitangan kerajaan yang baru dilantik SPA tidak mempunyai pengalaman atau kepakaran, cuma bergantung kepada kecemerlangan akademik. Sejak kebelakangan ini ramai calon dilantik SPA berumur antara 23 hingga 25 tahun dan tidak mempunyai pengalaman kerja. Adakah ini mencukupi bagi mengukuhkan atau memajukan sektor awam di negara kita? Adakah SPA cuma menitikberatkan kecemerlangan akademik dan tidak pengalaman kerja?

Apa yang saya lihat hari ini ialah segelintir pekerja awam tidak berdisiplin, tidak pandai berhubung di antara jabatan lain ibarat makan gaji buta tanpa melakukan kerja sukar. Ia seperti tidak adil kepada pekerja swasta yang bekerja keras dan berpenat lelah dari pagi hingga ke malam untuk mencari rezeki menanggung kehidupan sekarang.

Sebaliknya, kakitangan sektor awam hanya ke pejabat untuk membuat kerja ringan dan mempunyai banyak masa untuk berehat dan menerima gaji lebih tinggi daripada kakitangan di sektor swasta. SPA harus mengkaji semula cara pengambilan pekerja sektor awam kerana tidak semestinya calon yang muda dan cemerlang akademik dari IPTA/IPTS layak mengisi kekosongan jawatan di sektor awam berbanding calon yang mempunyai pengalaman di sektor swasta tetapi tidak cemerlang ketika di IPTA/IPTS.

Golongan muda ini perlu pendedahan kerja di sektor swasta terlebih dulu kerana pengalaman kerja penting bagi memotivasikan diri dan membentuk keyakinan. Selain itu, saya dapat melihat pada hari ini, sektor swasta lebih ke hadapan dan cara bekerja juga lebih sistematik berbanding sektor awam.

Oleh itu, wajarkah dibiarkan sehingga rosak susu sebelanga, baru perubahan drastik dilakukan. Kecemerlangan perlu dibentuk daripada akar umbi bagi menjamin kejayaan pada masa depan. Ia amat penting kerana negara kita, mempunyai Wawasan 2020. Saya dan rakan lain yang sudah lama memohon SPA tetapi tidak berkesempatan berkhidmat di sektor awam amat kecewa tidak diberikan peluang. SPA perlu mengkaji semula cara melantik calon yang benar-benar berkebolehan untuk bekerja dan bukan hanya pada kecemerlangan dalam bidang akademik tetapi pengalaman kerja perlu dititikberatkan kerana pengalaman adalah penting dan amat berharga daripada segala-galanya.

Insan kecewa,
Puchong, Selangor.

Pembaharuan dalam perkhidmatan awam

PUTRAJAYA 29 April – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini mencadangkan pembaharuan struktural dalam perkhidmatan awam dengan mengesyorkan proses saling penyerapan di antara bakat-bakat sektor awam dan swasta.

Di bawah kaedah ini, Perdana Menteri berkata, sudah tiba masanya jawatan-jawatan utama sektor awam dibuka kepada bakat-bakat daripada sektor swasta dan dari perkhidmatan lain selain perkhidmatan tadbir dan diplomatik.

"Kedua, saya juga mencadangkan satu dasar pintu terbuka di mana pegawai-pegawai perkhidmatan awam boleh dipinjamkan ke syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) dan pegawai GLC dipinjamkan ke perkhidmatan awam untuk saling menimba pengalaman.

"Ketiga, bagi mendapatkan bakat yang terbaik, perkhidmatan awam juga perlu mencontohi pelan pembangunan kerjaya dan pencarian bakat yang diamalkan oleh syarikat-syarikat seperti Petronas termasuk Bank Negara.

"Kita juga akan menghantar pegawai terbaik dalam kalangan penjawat awam untuk menimba ilmu di beberapa institusi tersohor di dunia seperti di Kennedy School of Government di Universiti Harvard dan Wharton Busniness School di Universiti Pennsylvania," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap merasmikan Majlis Perdana Perkhidmatan Awam ke-10 (MAPPA X) di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Putrajaya di sini hari ini. - Utusan

Kesatuan Pegawai Pengangkutan Jalan Sambut Baik Cadangan Cuepacs

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 April (Bernama) -- Kesatuan Pegawai Pengangkutan Jalan Semenanjung Malaysia menyambut baik cadangan Cuepacs mengenai pengeluaran 10 peratus gratuiti kepada kakitangan awam sebelum bersara.

Presidennya Hamzah Masri dalam kenyataannya hari ini berkata pengeluaran wang ganjaran pesaraan itu dapat memberi peluang kepada kakitangan awam membantu kerajaan merancakkan lagi rangsangan ekonomi.

"Dalam keadaan ekonomi sekarang sumber kewangan itu dapat membantu meringankan beban serta dapat mengelakkan mereka daripada terjebak meminjam daripada ceti haram serta timbulnya masalah sosial yang lain," katanya.

Semalam, Presiden Cuepacs Omar Osman mencadangkan agar kerajaan membenarkan pekerja sektor awam mengeluarkan lima hingga 10 peratus daripada jumlah ganjaran perkhidmatan masing-masing sebelum bersara.

Ini membolehkan kira-kira 1.3 juta kakitangan sektor awam menampung perbelanjaan harian mereka bagi menghadapi cabaran krisis kewangan global yang tidak stabil.

-- BERNAMA

Najib Cadang Sistem Kemasukan Pelbagai Peringkat

PUTRAJAYA, 28 April (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini mencadangkan jawatan-jawatan utama sektor awam dibuka kepada bakat-bakat daripada sektor swasta dan syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) selain perkhidmatan tadbir dan diplomatik.

Perdana Menteri berkata pembaharuan struktural perkhidmatan awam itu dicadangkan demi kepentingan rakyat.

"Kita tidak boleh lagi terlalu dogmatik, kita perlu mendapatkan bakat yang terpilih, terbaik dan tersaring demi kepentingan rakyat," katanya pada Majlis Perdana Perkhidmatan Awam Kesepuluh di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Putrajaya di sini.

Beliau berkata cadangannya mengenai kaedah sistem kemasukan pelbagai peringkat ke dalam perkhidmatan awam itu akan dapat memanfaatkan proses "cross fertilisation" di antara bakat-bakat sektor awam dan sektor swasta serta GLC.

Beliau juga mencadangkan satu dasar pintu terbuka dengan pegawai-pegawai perkhidmatan awam boleh dipinjamkan ke GLC dan sebaliknya untuk saling menimba ilmu.

Najib berkata dengan cara itu pegawai perkhidmatan awam boleh didedahkan kepada keperluan sektor swasta yang merupakan peneraju utama pertumbuhan negara.

Bagi mendapatkan bakat yang terbaik, katanya, perkhidmatan awam perlu mencontohi pelan pembangunan kerjaya dan pencarian bakat yang diamalkan seperti Petronas, Permodalan Nasional Berhad dan Bank Negara yang mempunyai sistem pengenalpastian bakat yang mantap serta telah menjadikan mereka organisasi yang hebat.

"Kita akan menghantar yang terbaik di kalangan penjawat awam untuk menimba ilmu di beberapa institusi tersohor di dunia seperti Kennedy School of Government di Universiti Harvard dan Wharton Business School di Universiti Pennsylvania," katanya.

Perdana Menteri juga menggariskan empat anjakan paradigma yang perlu dilakukan oleh perkhidmatan awam dalam proses modenisasi sektor itu.

Pertamanya anjakan daripada ketegaran kepada keanjalan dengan anggota perkhdmatan awam seharusnya menyedari bahawa kerajaan tidak mencipta kekayaan dan sektor swastalah yang mencipta kekayaan.

Najib berkata sektor awam perlu menjadi pemudah cara kepada penciptaan kekayaan tanpa mengenepikan peranan mereka sebagai pemelihara kepentingan awam.

"Penjawat awam sekali-kali tidak boleh menjadi penghindar proses penciptaan kekayaan ini kerana jika mereka berbuat demikian, yang akan rugi pada analisa akhirnya adalah rakyat," katanya.

Beliau berkata dari kekayaan yang dicipta oleh sektor swasta, kerajan mempunyai saham yang dikutip di dalam bentuk cukai korporat dan hasil itu seterusnya diguna bagi membangunkan negara dan untuk membayar gaji kakitangan awam.

Anjakan paradigma kedua ialah beralih daripada budaya pengeluaran dan perbelanjaan atau kesan nyata semata-mata kepada mementingkan aspek penghasilan secara holistik.

"Perkhidmatan awam harus menganjak paradigma daripada menilai kejayaan yang berasaskan output kepada kejayaan yang berasaskan outcome," katanya.

Misalnya, Perdana Menteri berkata dalam bidang pelajaran, bukan sahaja jumlah sekolah atau makmal yang mencukupi harus diberi penekanan tetapi perhatian yang utama harus diberikan kepada soal kejayaan menyeluruh termasuk kebajikan dan moral pelajar.

Contoh lain pula ialah penekanan bukan kepada bilangan mesyuarat yang diadakan atau kekerapan lawatan ke luar negara tetapi kepada apakah hasil yang tercapai daripada mesyuarat dan lawatan yang dibuat.

Najib berkata anjakan paradigma ketiga ialah anjakan daripada birokrasi yang menyukarkan kepada birokrasi yang memudah cara dan menyenangkan rakyat.

Kini terdapat tanggapan bahawa pentadbiran awam telah menjadi begitu "bloated" (mengembung) dan berada di belakang keluk perubahan negara dan global sedangkan kerajaan membelanjakan satu perempat daripada perbelanjaan pengurusan setiap tahun untuk emolumen sektor awam.

Emolumen sektor awam berjumlah RM28 bilion pada 2006, RM32 bilion (2007), RM41 bilion (2008) dan rakyat tertanya-tanya adakah perbelanjaan itu berbaloi, katanya.

Beliau berkata rungutan rakyat mengenai khidmat kaunter dan sukar mendapatkan perkhidmatan melalui telefon menyebabkan tanggapan buruk rakyat terhadap perkhidmatan awam sebagai penyusah bukannya sebagai pemudah cara.

"Kenapa masih memegang teguh kepada birokrasi yang menyusahkan, beranjaklah kepada birokrasi yang bersifat memudah cara," katanya.

Najib berkata salah satu langkah terbaik ialah Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri dengan kaedah e-filingnya yang merupakan pendekatan yang memudahkan serta penuh kreativiti dan innovasi.

Anjakan paradigma yang keempat pula daripada produktiviti semata-semata kepada gabungan produktiviti, kreativiti dan inovasi.

Beliau berkata ukuran produktiviti secara konvensional hanya memberikan kita penambahbaikan secara bertokok manakala jika digabungkan produktiviti dengan kreativiti dan inovasi ia akan memberikan penambahbaikan secara anjakan berganda.

Produktiviti yang digabungkan bersama kreativiti dan innovasi mampu melonjakkan kecekapan dan keberkesanan perkhidmatan awam, katanya.

Najib berkata tanggapan bahawa setiap masalah boleh diselesaikan dengan menubuhkan jabatan atau agensi baru atau menambah kakitangan adalah pandangan yang ketinggalan zaman.

"Kita perlu mengawal saiz kerajaan kerana kerajaan tidak tahu semuanya atau mempunyai penyelesaian kepada setiap permasalahan. Realitinya, era kerajaan besar dan kerajaan mengetahui segalanya sudah berakhir," katanya.

Beliau mahukan semua jabatan dan agensi kerajaan memaksimumkan aplikasi kreativiti dan inovasi dan matlamat utamanya adalah untuk meningkatkan kepuasan hati pelanggan sektor awam yang utama iaitu rakyat.

-- BERNAMA

Cuepacs slighted at no invite for PM's address

NST

Cuepacs is unhappy that it was not invited to a meeting at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre today where Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak addressed civil servants.

Its president Omar Osman said that the congress, which was the umbrella body for civil civil unions, felt “slighted” that it was not invited to the event.

“We have written to the Public Services Department to voice our displeasure,” he said.

He said this was the first time that Najib was meeting civil servants after taking over the administration of the government,

“How can we comment on his remarks at the gathering ... we were not invited,” he said, adding that the congress was besieged by calls from members asking why it was invited.

Public sector's attractive salary/pension scheme is attractive: Subra

The more attractive salary scheme and pension system has made more people interested to join the public sector, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

"The public sector has undergone big changes within a short time, the salary and benefits for drivers and clerks in the public sector, for example, is better compared to the private sector.

"Hence, public sector employees should appreciate the advantages given by the government and they should serve better," he told reporters after launching World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2009 here yesterday.

He was commenting on Cuepacs' call on the government to allow public sector employees to withdraw five to 10 per cent of their gratuity before retirement.

Cuepacs president Omar Osman said on Monday that the proposal was aimed at lightening the burden of civil servants especially during the economic slowdown.
Subramaniam also said the government planned to relook the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 to ensure employers comply with the requirement for them to have a safety and health officer.

Having such an officer was compulsory but some employers did not have one, he said. "Perhaps there are several methods or things that need to be relooked to make sure employers heed and comply with the directive," he said.

He also said that the ministry was publishing a guidebook on how to manage occupational safety and health in four languages, namely Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Tamil.

The objective was to help employers know what was needed and where to find information on occupational safety and health, he said. - BERNAMA

Cuepacs: Tidak wajar Saravanan dedah doktor culas

M'Kini

Kesatuan sekerja Cuepacs hari ini melahirkan rasa "kesal mendalam" terhadap cara timbalan menteri Wilayah Persekutuan menangani kes dua doktor Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) yang "culas" bertugas.

Datuk M Saravanan sepatutnya lebih berhati-hati dan diplomasi, dan tidak menghebohkannya di akhbar, kata setiausaha agung kesatuan itu, Ahmad Shah Md Zin.

"Memang sebagai seorang ahli politik, beliau meraih beberapa poin, tapi siapa yang teraniaya?" katanya, lapor Bernama.

Beliau mengulas kejadian semalam di unit kecemasan HKL apabila
Saravanan "mengesan" seorang doktor sedang membaca akhbar dan seorang lagi membuat kerja sendiri ketika ramai pesakit menunggu di luar.

Ahmad Shah berkata walaupun Cuepacs tidak akan membiarkan kakitangan awam yang tidak menjalankan kerja dengan baik, tetapi dalam kes ini, adalah amat tidak adil bagi Saravanan menghebohkan kejadian itu yang mungkin merupakan hanya satu kes terpencil.

Ahmad Shah berkata sebagai tanda beradab, Saravanan boleh membawa perkara itu kepada pengarah hospital dan menteri kesihatan daripada menghebohkannya kepada media dan seluruh dunia.

Menurut agensi berita itu lagi, beliau berkata bukan saja doktor malah seluruh kakitangan awam "amat tersinggung" dengan apa yang dilakukan Saravanan.

Tambahnya, para doktor terutama mereka di unit kecemasan
hospital di seluruh negara amat tertekan dan bekerja bagi tempoh yang lama melayani bilangan pesakit yang ramai.

Purata para doktor ini mengendali kira-kira 70-100 kes sehari dan majoriti menjalankan kerja dengan baik memberikan khidmat cemerlang walaupun menghadapi pelbagai kendalaan.

Ahmad berkata publisiti negatif menjejas teruk semangat bukan saja doktor malah semua kakitangan awam.

"Kami harap Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak akan mengambil perhatian tentang ini dan menasihatkan menteri- menterinya agar tidak bertindak melampaui batas," katanya seperti dilaporkan.

Beliau memberi jaminan bahawa Cuepacs sentiasa terbuka untuk menegur kakitangan awam yang gemar ponteng dan ia akan sentiasa bekerjasama dengan ketua-ketua jabatan untuk mendisplin kakitangan seperti itu.

WISMA PUTRA RANKING: Pick diplomats of highest calibre

NST

IT is interesting to note that Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry) has been ranked the lowest among all government departments ("Works only ministry to get 5-star rating" -- (NST, April 22). It was listed with three stars at No. 15, the lowest, whereas the highest with a five-star rating was the Works Ministry.

Wisma Putra should look into improving its effectiveness at the top. Shouldn't the role of ambassadors be reviewed? Shouldn't the posting of diplomats in prominent world cities like Tokyo, Paris and London be held by eminent persons?

I'm sure there are many capable personalities from the academic, media or corporate sectors with a helicopter view and holistic approach who can make a difference in foreign policy than diplomats who are inward-looking as a result of an inbreeding culture.

I am against politicians being appointed as ambassadors, for obvious reasons.

I think Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would like a new approach in the handling of foreign policy instead of merely taking care of VVIPs and their children overseas. Our diplomats must be competent enough to face the challenges of the new leadership.
The Foreign Ministry's secretary-general must see to it that only the best diplomats are posted abroad. They are our first line of defence and selection should not be based on nepotism and cronyism. The nation's interests must prevail over personal interests.

Menteri arah sedia laporan dakwaan doktor 'curi tulang'

Kementerian hanya ambil tindakan jika kes didapati benar

KUALA LUMPUR: Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai mengarahkan Pengarah Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) segera menyediakan laporan lengkap berhubung dakwaan dua doktor di Jabatan Kecemasan hospital terbabit yang ditangkap 'curi tulang' oleh Timbalan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk M Saravanan, kelmarin.

Beliau berkata, jika dakwaan Saravanan benar, kementerian tidak akan bertolak ansur dan mungkin mengambil tindakan disiplin terhadap kedua-dua doktor terbabit.

"Kita tidak boleh menuduh dan menghukum kedua-dua doktor terbabit secara melulu. Justeru, saya sudah mengarahkan Pengarah HKL menyerahkan laporan lengkap secepat mungkin bagi membolehkan tindakan sewajarnya diambil terhadap doktor terbabit," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas mengadakan lawatan mengejut ke pusat pemeriksaan kesihatan di Balai Ketibaan Antarabangsa, Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) di sini, semalam.

Akhbar semalam melaporkan dua doktor di jabatan kecemasan HKL ditangkap `curi tulang' kelmarin kerana membaca akhbar dan melakukan kerja peribadi, ketika lebih 20 pesakit menunggu mendapatkan rawatan.

Kes curi tulang itu terbongkar apabila Saravanan, kebetulan pergi ke situ untuk melawat seorang pelajar universiti yang cedera selepas dilanggar kereta dipandu pemandu beliau.

Sementara itu, Timbalan Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin menyifatkan dakwaan dua doktor di Jabatan Kecemasan hospital itu ditangkap `curi tulang' boleh memberi imej buruk kepada perkhidmatan kerajaan.

Beliau berkata, kementerian memandang berat dakwaan itu dan sudah menggerakkan siasatan segera, termasuk meminta laporan penuh daripada pihak HKL.

"Motto Kementerian Kesihatan ialah `Kami Sedia Membantu' dan ia mesti diaplikasi oleh semua agensi di bawah kementerian ini, termasuk hospital. Bagi pihak hospital, keutamaan mereka ialah pesakit.

"Sudah tentu kementerian memandang berat dakwaan seumpama itu (doktor curi tulang) kerana ia boleh memberi imej buruk kepada perkhidmatan kerajaan," katanya ketika dihubungi di sini, semalam.

Sementara itu, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Gabungan Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca), Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, pula berkata pegawai Kementerian Kesihatan perlu lebih kerap turun padang membuat pemeriksaan mengejut untuk meninjau kualiti perkhidmatan hospital kerajaan.

Key Performance Indicators, the 1Malaysia concept and the civil service

NST

HOW important is the civil service to the 1 Malaysia concept? And are Key Performance Indicators the guarantee to a good and civil service?
ANIZA DAMIS speaks to the top man, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan, on these issues, Integrity, the New Economic Policy, the racial composition of the civil service, and, letting “the thousand flowers bloom”.

Tan Sri Sidek Hassan at his office in Putrajaya.

Q: Is the civil service cooperative of the leadership’s directives?

A: Yes. How else do you think we are where we are? How did we manage to develop in terms of infrastructure, which is first world, and in terms of where we are now as a nation? Look at our neighbours: How do we fare, in relation to some of them? Even under the current economic situation, I think we are faring very well, relative to the world. How did we do it? Because the public service has responded to what the government wants us to do. We’re not perfect, and we’ll keep on harping on this issue of integrity, efficiency, customer-centric issues. But, I am unequivocal in saying that we the civil service have been very responsive to the wishes of the government and the wishes of the people.

Q: So, the fact that the current government as a political coalition is not faring very well is not a reflection on the civil service? It’s just a reflection of their own political failures?

A: I don’t know whether that’s a ‘failure’, but that’s up to the electorate.

Q: And the electorates’ decision is not based on the civil service’s performance?

A: It is, in some ways. You cannot divorce the civil service from the government, as if we are entirely oblivious to what the government is doing.

Q: So, if the electorate says, “This government is lousy; it doesn’t collect my rubbish” – is that a reflection of the political party or the civil service?

A: That is the problem of each and every one of us. It is a very close symbiotic relationship. Who collects the rubbish? It’s the local authorities. Who runs the local authorities? Not all of this is the prime minister’s job; some of them are my job. So, if the prime minister were to ask me to do something and I don’t, would you blame the PM for that? When I became the KSN, I tried to addresss major areas where we can make better improvement in terms of the public service delivery. It’s okay now, but we can do some more. The role of the local authority is quite simple in my mind. It is the SLR (sampah, longkang, rumput – rubbish, drains, grass). I’m a rakyat, too. Imagine if they don’t collect my sampah, and they don’t clean my longkang, and they don’t cut my rumput. And then, the lampu (streetlight) near my road is missing, and the jalan (road) is a mess. But is that the problem of the prime minister or menteri besar? It’s not. If it’s in Kuala Lumpur, that’s the problem of the mayor. But you cannot expect the mayor to make sure all the SLR is done. He expects his Number Two and Number Three to work. And if you are in Putrajaya, where I am, I put that to the Perbadanan Putrajaya. But, beyond the SLR, there are other things that the local authorities have got to do. For instance, if I want to build a house, I want to make sure that my plan is approved fast – not like 20 years from now. Therefore, it’s about addressing the core business. You blame the prime minister because he’s the leader. But if you start blaming the prime minister, people should also start blaming themselves. Because, in some ways, you allow that to happen. If, for example, I see my longkang not being cleaned, why didn’t I complain? I allow it to continue.

Q: So, people should complain if they are unhappy with services?

A: Yes, of course. But they cannot at the same time always say, “This is the PM’s and minister’s fault.” You can’t. Secondly, when you have generated rubbish (when in public), do you put it in your pocket until you can throw it away responsibly? Or do you throw it away carelessly? I always see people throwing it around. It’s not about the government; it’s about us.

Q: Does the civil service have a KPI, and what is it?

A: It depends on how you define “KPI”. In January, every one of us is evaluated on how we performed the previous year, through the LMPT (Laporan Penilaian Prestasi Tahunan – annual performance assessment report). They are evaluated based on their SKT (Sasaran Kerja Tahunan – annual work target). But if you talk about KPIs in the formal sense, then only the 38 people at the top of the civil service have it. I have one, all the secretary-generals have it, the director-general of the Public Service Department, the Attorney-General, the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief of the Armed Forces.

Q: Does what is expected of each individual vary between ministries?

A: Of course. It has to be unique to the person, because each person’s portfolio and responsibility is different.

Q: How do you assess them? Is it through exams?

A: The assessment for the purpose of evaluation (LMPT) is done at two levels: one is by your immediate supervising officer and his immediate supervising officer. They will judge whether you have fulfilled what you promised to do in your SKT. There will also be a judgment on, your integrity, how well you relate to others, communication skills, etc. The other form of evaluation is for the purpose of promotion. Most people would go to INTAN (Institut Tadbir Awam Negara – National Institute of Public Administration), where they are evaluated on the course they took, the papers they wrote, class participation, the facilitator’s assessment and a peer assessment.

Q: How effective or realistic are these assessments?

A: Do you want to know what’s supposed to be, and what actually is? I’ve been trying to convert many people to this ‘religion’; of being objective and being honest. The grading is done in numerics: 1 being the lousiest, and 10 being the best. Out of 100 points, if you get 90 and above, that is melintang. If you get 80-89.9, that is menegak, and that’s still very good. If you get below 79.9, that’s not very good. Supervisors should be marking their people along that line. But if you were to grade everyone at 9.5 and therefore 95 per cent throughout, then, either he or she is lucky to have so many good officials, or there’s something wrong with his or her marking. Therefore, how realistic it is depends on how these supervisors do it.

Q: Are there any ministries or departments that do this?

A: I think they do have some, but more and more now, we are telling them the value of being honest.

Q: How effective is an assessment by your boss? For instance, if you’re someone who always stands your ground for good reasons, which may inconvenience your boss, how is that person going to be assessed?

A: I’d give very good marks. He or she would be promoted. The civil service is all about merit. In the civil service, that is the ‘religion’ the current prime minister is talking about, and it is also the religion the former prime minister espoused.

Q: What is the public service’s role in promoting the 1Malaysia concept?

A: Everything. The role of the civil service is about everything that the government wants to do. It’s very critical for all of us to appreciate the importance, the pivotal role that we, the 1.2 million civil servants, have to do. Imagine if the civil service didn’t deliver? The two huge stimulus packages, or the budget, or any programme that the government has. Therefore, it’s a question of implementation; of carrying forward the policies, projects and programmes of the government. The prime minister initiated the 1Malaysia concept; but do you think the whole thing can move if the civil service doesn’t move? Impossible.

Q: The prime minister’s asked the Cabinet to come up with KPIs for themselves. You said don’t blame it on the prime minister or the minister. So, how should their KPIs look like?

A: (Refused to comment).

Q: What should be the goal of each minister and deputy minister in relation to the civil service?

A: I know the KPI for myself.

Q: What is your KPI?

A: Very simple: to improve the public service delivery. What do you think of the public delivery service? Is it that when you complain about your drain, that I do it? Is it when you complain your light is faulty, I come straight away? A good public delivery service goes far beyond that: It means that you don’t have to complain. Why should you complain that your drain has not been cleaned, or your rubbish has not been collected, or your streetlight bulb has not been changed, when it is expected that all this is supposed to work! Even so, if, occasionally, you do have reason to complain, then, the problem should be immediately rectified. We want to have such a good public delivery service that people have no reason to complain. And if they do have complaints, that it’s going to be attended to very quickly. So, I suppose my KPI is that the public service delivery is what people want; however you might define “public service delivery”. If you talk in terms of headline KPI for me, that is it.

Q: And how was your KPI performance for 2008?

A: I didn’t check the number.

Q: You’re not bothered?

A: The KPI now is a 360-degree one. They are moving around now, and asking what my bosses think of me, asking my colleagues, the secretary-generals, what they think of me and how I perform. I’m not going to ask how I fared, but if you’re talking about integrity, then, deep in my heart, I have been honestly trying to deliver on my promise. And that is the biggest KPI anyone should have.

Q: You said there’s this group of 38 very senior management people. How are they assessed, and who assesses them?

A: The KPI is assessed by their boss, their peers, and by their subordinates – it’s 360 degrees.

Q: Should senior management have external assessors instead?

A: You can. But for the ministers, they also have a lot of external assessors. Every four or five years, they have the external assessors.

Q: Yes, that is the ultimate assessment for politicians. But should the top management in the civil service have external assessment?

A: But what would be the outcome?

Q: Perhaps it would be more neutral?

A: So what. For what?

Q: For instance, if you have to work with a secretary-general, and you have to live with each other, whether you like it or not. So, you’re not going to give a bad assessment of this person, are you? Have you ever given a bad assessment of a brother senior manager?

A: How do you define “bad assessment”?

Q: Let’s say if that person’s not performing…

A: Do you think I’ve given everyone all 100 per cent?

Q: What’s the worst?

A: 46 per cent.

Q: What happened to that person?

A: I don’t know where that person is. Sometimes, people who are not performing are just taken out of their positions and put in the pool. And they stay there. What is the reason of having external assessors?

Q: To have a neutral force.

A: Who defines neutrality? Right now, if a secretary-general is being assessed, he is assessed by the director-general of the public service department and I am the counter-signee. Then, there’ll also be assessments by his peers – the other secretary-generals. Are you questioning the integrity of Sidek Hassan, the Chief Secretary of the Government? Do you doubt my integrity? You think it’s better to trust someone out there instead?

Q: How much input do subordinates have on their bosses?

A: Now, not so much. Except for the 38 top people.

Q: What is the weightage of the assessment by the managed on the manager?

A: At the moment, not much.

Q: Would you say that that input is important?

A: That’s why we are going for 360 degrees. We have done that for the 38. For the rest, hopefully it will be applied within this one year or so. Right now, we are also working on the level below the 38. the deputy secretary-generals, deputy director-generals. This is where people have to take very seriously about evaluation. I am truthful to myself and take this very seriously. I’ve always made sure the assessments I made were photocopied. Then, the person being assessed puts the mark he feels he deserves. When he comes to me with it, and I look at the original assessment, and we negotiate it. But what is actually important is the mentoring. It’s not about a once-a-year affair. It’s about continuously improving. Many people think they should wait only once a year. Some use it to take their revenge on a subordinate. But this is not the right attitude. Human resource is the most important thing. I go to INTAN and talk to new recruits, or soon-to-be promoted senior managers, telling them what my expectations are. But I also speak to the bosses and tell them what to do – the mentoring part. People always take the LMPT as the main indicator of improvement. But it shouldn’t be. That is purely after you mentor them the whole year, and try to improve them. Talk about the public service delivery. Speak about efficiency, doing it now, so that your customer is happy. If you have done that, the LMPT is only to put the mark. But it should be a continuous process. And all of us must behave like that. It’s very important.

Q: The PM, when he was talking about KPIs for his Cabinet, mentioned loyalty. What is your idea of what loyalty is, in the civil service?

A: Loyalty means, 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now. It’s about being loyal to what I’m supposed to do. Call it loyalty, integrity, or whatever. Loyalty is doing what you’re expected to do.

Q: And what are you expected to do? Service to nation?

A: Ya.

Q: If people are really unhappy with the civil service, they shouldn’t give the prime minister the chop? They should just give civil servants the chop?

A: They should tell the prime minister, and the prime minister will give the civil servant the chop. I would give them the chop.

Q: So, if people do give the prime minister or any minister the chop, it’s actually because of the lack of leadership?

A: Of course. Like the Americans say, “The buck stops here.” So, of course the buck stops there! But you cannot be blaming the president of the United States for everything that goes wrong.

Q: What is the penalty if a civil servant doesn’t perform?

A: Depends on what was agreed. We cannot sack a person at the drop of a pin, because eventually, there’ll be no one to sack. But there has to be some sort of penalty.

Q: Are civil servants too secure in the idea that they can’t get sacked?

A: Even secretary-generals cannot be so sure of their security. The secretary-general is responsible for the good behaviour of his direct report. The deputy secretary-general is responsible for his direct report, and so on. If everybody takes care of his own area of responsibility, then, we’ll live happily ever after. It might be conceptual, but it works. I believe in punishing people. The punishing part is something that not many of us like to do. But, if you know that you are responsible for meting out punishment and you have not done it, then action should be taken on the person who is supposed to take action and did not take it. And that is something that we are doing. For instance, why is it that sometimes people ‘hang’ people? And sometimes, they hang in public; they cut these peoples’ heads off in public. Why? One reason is to get rid of the offending person. The other is to make sure there are no other intended offenders. And that, sometimes, is more important than getting rid of the offender.

ON INTEGRITY:

Q: How would you measure integrity in assessing KPIs, and in doing jobs?

A: People associate integrity most with the issue of corruption; whether one gives or takes bribes, whether one embezzles public or company funds. That’s a very important element of integrity. But, to me and the public service, integrity goes beyond that: For example, if I know that a public official is engaged in activities that degrade integrity, or we get a report from the MACC, then the response is quite immediate and very clear.

Q: In the civil service, does anyone get fired? Or are they just shunted out to the boondocks, or promoted so that they become someone else’s problem?

A: I don’t do that. And if I don’t do that, then the ‘religion’ (honesty and integrity) that I’m talking about is not doing that.

Q: You are only one person, and you are right at the top. What goes on down there with the 1.2 million civil servants is another matter.

A: I have been at the top since 3 Sept 2006. But do you think I have been behaving like this only since 3 Sept 2006? Bear in mind, I was a secretary-general before, and deputy secretary-general, and director and deputy director. Integrity is not about when you become the secretary-general or the chief secretary. Integrity is the person. We have been behaving like this (with integrity), and I am not alone. We are talking about ‘religion’. As a leader, if I have a problem with my subordinate, do I chuck that person out and ask her to work with another leader? That means I’m a failure. Why should I give my problems to someone else?

Q: How much faith do you have that a lot more people subscribe to this ‘religion’?

A: I’m looking you right in the eye, and I’m saying, I have a lot of faith. There’s no way that anyone, however superb you are, in a system of 1.2 million, can do it alone. And I would dare say that the secretary-generals are all like that.

Q: Do you think that the message of this new ‘religion’ has passed down to the smallest person in this system?

A: I would think so. If you have a system where you expect the best in the religion, you go down to your prophet, and that prophet goes down to the minor prophet. But I’m pretty sure, among the 1.2 million of us, it’s not going to be the same level of understanding (of the religion). The intensity may not be the same. It may even be very intense at the bottom, but not so intense at the top. The beauty about religion is that, religion keeps on enriching. Therefore, integrity is not about corruption. Integrity, as a civil servant, is beyond that. Our salvation as a nation depends on our understanding about integrity as something beyond just corruption. Integrity means doing your best. For example, if you are supposed to work from 7.30am-4.30pm, it’s not only about you clocking in and doing nothing. Integrity means you must do your job, and do it properly. Integrity means giving it your best shot, and doing what the country wants. For instance, the prime minister speaks about “1Malaysia. People First, Performance Now.” Integrity means working your heart out, and retaining objectivity. If you promise to deliver certain things, you must do it. If the ministry for which you are responsible has certain KPIs, then you follow them. Those are the more important elements of integrity, as I see it. We are trying to drive that in the civil service.

ON 1MALAYSIA:

Q: How would apply 1Malaysia to work?

A: 1Malaysia, I think, among others, is about all Malaysians. Let’s go to the simple one first. Between Sabah, Sarawak and the Peninsular, there should not be a gap. Between the east coast and west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and between the rural and urban, there shouldn’t be a gap.

Q: What do you mean by ‘gap’?

A: I’m sure there are certain gaps.

Q: What kind of gaps?

A: Maybe income disparity. 1Malaysia means also with the poor, you should be colour-blind. It doesn’t matter whether a person is a poor Malay, poor Chinese, poor Bumi, or poor non-Muslim Bumi. 1Malaysia is about this country belonging to us (Malaysians).

Q: Do you believe, then, that the NEP should apply to all?

A: What do you mean by that?

Q: When it was first established, it was meant for all Malaysians. But it has evolved to only apply to Malays, or Muslim Bumiputras.

A: Is that true? The NEP is meant only for Muslim Bumiputras?

Q: That is the general perception.

A: That’s what I’m saying. It is not.

Q: So, to whom should it apply now?

A: It has always been applicable to all Bumiputras.

Q: Should it extend to all Malaysians?

A: It has been. For example, education.

Q: With, or without a quota system?

A: In terms of scholarships, we are working on it. As we move forwards, the scholarship should be based on merit. And, in terms of joining the civil service, it should also be about merit.

ON THE RACIAL COMPOSITION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE:

Q: Does this also include promotions?

A: Yes. Do you doubt that? Haven’t you seen the list of secretary-generals who were promoted recently?

Q: What is the percentage of Bumiputeras in the public service, as compared to non-Bumiputeras?

A: I can’t remember. There are a lot more Bumiputeras than non-Bumiputeras.

Q: Is this proportional to the general population?

A: It is not. But we have been telling the non-Bumis to come and join the public service. I have spoken with so many non-Bumis, and even arranged to see vernacular papers to make this known. I hope the ministers from MCA, MIC, and Sabah and Sarawak (will make this known). But we can’t help it if there are more Malays being recruited, if more Malays apply for the job.

Q: Has the numbers of non-Bumi applicants increased?

A: Yes, it has. But the reality is, there are more Indian applicants than Chinese applicants. This surprised me. Because in terms of percentage of the population, Indians only make up 7-8 per cent. There are over 30 per cent of Chinese. So, how is it that in absolute numbers, there are more Indian applicants than Chinese? Is it the fault of whoever recruits, that there are not many Chinese applicants? Intake is based on merit. If there are 10 jobs available, and there are 20 applicants, and you rank that according to merit, and there are 18 Malay applicants, and 2 non-Malay applicants – one Chinese, one Indian – and the Chinese is ranked Number 14, and the Indian Number 11, and you only have places for 10, and you say that it will be given on merit, who do you think will get the jobs? It may not be so bad, now. But when I entered the public service many years ago, the top brains of the Malays joined the civil service. Those who got General Degree (not Honours) joined the banks or multinationals. And there were many top-brain Malays who joined the civil service. The top brains of the Chinese didn’t join the civil service; they either joined multinational companies or they joined their parents’ company. And so, you have a situation where there are so many top brains of the Malays, not so many Chinese who are not the top brains. Therefore, when it comes to service promotions, who gets promoted? Is that discrimination? No, that isn’t. In fact, what might happen is that there is reverse discrimination: Because you are so wanting to promote a non-Malay, maybe you are not giving the 10 positions to the top-10 applicants. Maybe you are giving Number 11 and Number 12 to be included in that 10. Therefore, your role and my role now is to excite people to join. Because this is a very noble cause; not because of the money, but for the service that you give.

Q: Are the smartest of anyone coming in now? Are we having still the smartest of Malays?

A: I should think there would be more, because there are so many people educated now, and there are so many Malays that are not taken in.

Q: How would you entice and recruit the best brains for this country?

A: The government has asked the Public Service Commission to ensure this – to go to the universities – local and foreign universities. Ask them to come in. The public service commission has been asked to do it – the same way that Petronas has been doing – by taking on scholars. And, scholarships should be based on merit. If we can get more Chinese and Indians on a government scholarship, we kill two birds with one stone: we address the issue of fairness in terms of scholarship, and we get more non-Bumis into the civil service. So, we will get more Malays and Indians and Chinese who deserve it, based on their academic qualifications. And they must join the government service.

Q: Can they buy themselves out?

A: I suppose they could. But if they buy themselves out, then it defeats the purpose. Then you cannot be hounding us and asking, “Why aren’t you recruiting me?” In the past, (former MCA president) Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting joined the government because he was on scholarship. So, when these people get their scholarship, they have to come and work with the government.

ON DIVISION A TEACHERS JOINING POLITICS:

Q: There is a suggestion that Division A teachers should be allowed to be involved in politics. Do you agree or disagree?

A: I think we are talking about an open society, where we allow people to speak up. So, let the thousand flowers bloom. If I were to reply to you, and give you a definitive answer, as head of the civil service, would I be allowing the flowers to bloom?

Q: It depends on whether you like flowers to bloom. What if it interferes with their work?

A: I’m not going to give a definite answer. Let them speak up! The PM wants us to listen. If, even before I listen to everyone I say, “can” or “cannot”, I don’t allow the thousand flowers to bloom. You want me to cut the flowers now? No, you shouldn’t.

Q: So, should you be allowed to be involved in politics?

A: I’m not going to answer that, because you should allow the flowers to bloom. You ask me whether they should be allowed or not. But this government is about listening. You should listen to the people’s view. But I’m not going to tell you what I think, because I’m the head of the civil service. If I say, “can”, then I’m not allowing people to discuss about it. If I say, “cannot”, again I’m not allowing them to discuss it.

Q: Have you gone down to the teachers to ask them what they think?

A: Yes. I met the union.

Q: And what was the union’s response?

A: You have to ask them.

Q: What was the union’s response to you, that you recall?

A: You have to ask them. Let the thousand flowers bloom.

NewsFocus on KPI: Cuepacs wants 'two-way' evaluation system

NST

CUEPACS, the umbrella body of low-ranking workers in public-sector unions, wants the KPI for senior government officers such as directors, secretaries-general and their deputies to be based on how well they get along with their subordinates.

It is these officers, who rank from "Grade 41 to the Chief Secretary", that can motivate the clerks, drivers, technicians and assistants, who made up the bulk of the government's machinery, to work well.

Ultimately, it will also determine whether ministers or deputy ministers can achieve their own KPI.

"If clerks in a department do not give a 100 per cent in their jobs, the department does not perform at 100 per cent and the minister's KPI will not be attained," said Cuepacs president Omar Osman.

To get the most out of the 950,000 staffers in the civil service, it is crucial that senior officers get along well with their subordinates, and the KPIs for these officers must recognise this.
Relations are easily soured when senior officers refuse to give their staff salary increments.

Omar claims that there are about 50,000 union members who have never been promoted despite working in the same office for 30 years.

In the public mind, it is these people who represent the listless civil servant showing up late for work because he runs a burger stall at night, and allows the stacks of application forms to pile up on his desk.

But what is seldom recognised is that these are also the people who were passed over and over again for pay rise and promotion by senior officers, who are intent on rewarding those whom they liked.

"It is a welfare issue between the worker and the employer. If a worker does not get enough from his primary job, he may have to go out and find a supplementary income.

"The worker's welfare is determined by the senior officer because the person who decides whether an employee gets an increment is this officer," said Omar.

It is discouraging when senior officers neglect to hold the intra-departmental council meetings (majlis bersama jabatan) with their staff.

Everything, from overtime schedules to training courses and disciplinary problems is meant to be discussed at the meetings, which were supposed to be held four times a year.

The MBJ is compulsory, yet there are senior officers getting away with not holding them at all.

The problem, Omar said, is the absence of supervision on the performance of senior officers, unlike for union members who are assessed by their superiors.

It can even be argued that ministers and deputy ministers are also assessed by an independent entity -- the voters -- who judge them every five years in a general election.

"So when it comes to KPIs for these senior officers, the congress is urging the prime minister to include officer-subordinate relations as a component to ensure that they foster good working relationships with their staff, and that they hold the MBJs and act on their recommendations," said Omar.

"Most importantly, action must be taken against senior officers who fail in these areas."

NewsFocus on KPI: Setting meaningful targets key to making it work

NST



The men and women of the civil service will ultimately determine whether a ruling party’s policies succeed or fail.

Key performance indicators are metrics designed to evaluate how well an organisation performs in meeting its stated goals. Launching his '1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now' agenda, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that KPIs would be instituted for Cabinet-level positions as well as the civil service they command. YONG HUEY JIUN and SHERIDAN MAHAVERA examine the promise and potential pitfalls of KPIs in that context.

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's ambitious agenda to measure the performance of cabinet ministers with key performance indicators (KPIs) will require adaptability, resoluteness, a focused strategy and a steely determination to see it through.

The idea was greeted with "cautious optimism" at best, and cynicism at worst.

The Prime Minister's Department, appointed to oversee the formulation of these KPIs, is expected to face a series of challenges from the start.

Omar Mustapha, managing partner of consulting firm Ethos & Co, notes that "in business, it is pretty straightforward: as your stakeholders are the shareholders of the company, we can assume that shareholders are interested in the long-term financial success of the company".
But it's different with governments: "We need to start by understanding what is important for the country as well as the rakyat.

"Overall, this should be about making Malaysia a competitive and prosperous country that provides the rakyat with a high quality living environment, i.e. safe from crime, good healthcare access, etc.

"Various documents -- Vision 2020, the National Mission statement -- should be the guide for understanding national aspirations."

The government's KPIs, he says, "need to measure those metrics that have the most leverage in terms of impacting the identified national aspirations".

If, for example, the objective is to provide the rakyat with a quality living environment, what constitutes "quality" to the rakyat?

"It may be about improving public safety, better transport infrastructure, more affordable housing, better healthcare or cleaner environment."

The outcome KPI, therefore, must apply to the minister and government agencies concerned with this particular objective.

Omar cautions that there must not be too many KPIs, with a balance between near- and long-term goals, and between what is important for national competitiveness and what the rakyat wants. Getting the KPIs right, he warns, depends on setting meaningful targets.

"The worst thing that can happen is that the government publishes data that show that they have met their targets, but the rakyat knows this is incongruent with what is actually being experienced on the ground."

Critical to success, he says, is ensuring substance over form.

Omar itemises six criteria in this regard:

- Selecting KPIs that really matter;

- Setting targets for each KPI that is tied to national aspirations, as opposed to what is comfortable for the ministry to achieve;

- Supporting the KPIs with clear action plans;

- Ensuring integrity in performance reporting;

- Having clear consequences for non-performance; and,

- Developing clear communication and buy-in.

"Generally, you start from the top and then cascade down.

"This is the only way to have KPIs that are truly strategic and focused on key priorities."

He recommends that top management itself, i.e. ministers, deputies and secretaries-general, be involved in KPI development.

"The prime minister must be personally engaged in this process to ensure focus and attention is given to the priorities that truly matter, to how the government as a whole, will be measured and evaluated by the rakyat at the next general election."


At the mercy of civil servants

BELOW are true stories in dealing with the civil service.

* An Immigration Department officer openly contradicts official policy by refusing re-entry to a foreign maid because she had gone home during a 2004 amnesty for foreign workers.
When her employer tells the officer that the home minister had publicly guaranteed that workers like her could come back to work in Malaysia, the officer replies: "What the minister said is one thing but I have not received any new directives, so we will continue with the old policy."

* An illiterate man from Taiping tries to apply for a birth certificate and is shoved to Ipoh and Putrajaya, only to be told that he has to go back to get a sworn statement from his village head.
The man seeks help from his member of parliament, who tried in vain to get the document in time for the general election. The MP is then blamed for being inept.

* A man turns up at the Housing and Local Government Ministry's headquarters with a bag of garbage, dumps it in the foyer and stomps off.
He tells the shocked security guards that he is disgusted with not being able to get garbage collection services despite numerous complaints to the ministry.

In all these cases, asks former deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk M. Kayveas, who do you think gets blamed at the end of the day?

"The Barisan Nasional, even though we as ministers and deputies tried our best to make dealing with the government as people-friendly as possible."

The relationship between the civil service and political appointees such as ministers is complex.

So, when it comes to instituting KPIs on ministers and deputy ministers, Kayveas bluntly says it misses the point.

"A minister and his deputies' performance are very much dependent on the senior government officers and the civil servants below them.

"A minister can come up with brilliant ideas but if the implementers under him refuse to cooperate, those ideas will only remain as ideas.

"So how do you fairly rate a minister's performance? What kind of measures do you use that takes all this into consideration?"

And implementers can throw up a thousand and one barriers if they want to hamstring a minister.

Relating his experience, Kayveas tells of how a plan could not get off the ground quickly because the officer in charge was away on course.

When the officer returned, months were spent on getting a proper working paper drawn up.

More months passed before the necessary approvals were received.

"By the time we could really move ahead with it, the general election was already called."

The number one reason why great ideas do not get translated into working policies is because there is a yawning chasm in motivation and incentive between political appointees and civil servants.

Political appointees have to do their best because they can get dropped from the cabinet, they go through the mother of all assessments -- the general election.

In contrast, civil servants jobs are for the most part secure and effectively free of public scrutiny and appraisal.

This, Kayveas says, has turned the civil service's senior managers -- directors and secretaries-general -- into an exclusive cabal.

"There is a common saying among them: 'A minister comes and goes every five years but we stay forever.'

"There are brilliant officers but they are not given a chance to shine.

"They are often sidelined by either their superiors whose positions are threatened, or by their colleagues who fear that their performance would reflect badly on them."

In his opinion, the only way to ensure that the machinery performs is to replace directors and secretaries-general with elected politicians.

"At present, the elected party does not run the government. We allow civil servants to run it but it is the politician who has to face the people when there is a fire, a flood or when someone cannot get documents."

A KPI for political appointees may help the prime minister choose his cabinet, but it has little impact on the common folk who have to deal with the government every day.

Another set of KPI for the civil service's senior managers would also be pointless. Kayveas cites an example of how even the most derelict and scandalous officers are shielded from action by the "cabal".

"If you want improvement in how the government functions, put the politicians in charge."

They can go on early leave now

KUALA LUMPUR: Mothers-to-be can now opt for a maximum of 14 days of maternity leave prior to their due date. However, this would be deducted from the 60 days' leave that they are entitled to. The new ruling will come into effect on May 1, according to a Public Service Department circular issued on April 20. Heads of departments are expected to record this early leave which must be supported with a letter from a doctor on the expected delivery date. -- Bernama