New policy lets civil servants take lead in advising M’sian administration

KUALA LUMPUR – It is a confidence booster for the civil service following the introduction of a policy requiring them to take the lead in advising the administration on policies and strategies instead of relying on external consultants.

In welcoming the policy, two non-governmental groups said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim showed his trust in the capabilities of the civil service.

Persatuan Perkhidmatan Tadbir dan Diplomatik Malaysia president Datuk Isham Ishak said civil servants have information and knowledge that can be used to improve the administration, as well as observations at the grassroots level.

“They (civil servants) have been serving the government for a long time and have first-hand information, even more information at the grassroots level.

“So, it is more appropriate to prioritise civil service consultants over outsiders,” he told Getaran, The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal.

Isham said it is time for civil servants to prove their capabilities by implementing a more professional delivery system.

“The combination of political influence and the confidence of civil servants will definitely make the public service more reliable and able to give what the prime minister wants.

“Now, the civil service needs to show their capabilities and prove that the trust the prime minister has in them is not wasted.”

Anwar shared the policy with the Malaysian diaspora during his recent visit to Manila, saying that the policy had been implemented, and guidelines on the matter had been given to the public sector.

But, he said, it does not mean that the government would not seek the help of consultants, especially in specific areas where the public sector has no expertise.

Meanwhile, Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the policy could be implemented as a cost-saving measure for the government as external consultants are costly.

“It has not been implemented before, which is to give the task to locals even though the public service has the expertise to resolve problems.

“If the public service has expertise in a certain field, there is no need to appoint external consultants because it will contribute to excessive costs and burden the government.

“If there is no such expertise, it is alright for the government to seek external consultants, but it must be in an urgent situation or due to limited public service resources.” – The Vibes, March 4, 2023