THE figures on the racial composition released by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Latiff Ahmad in Parliament were not a revelation of sorts because many had known the situation where 90% of the civil servants are Bumiputeras.
The answer was just a confirmation of what most had thought all this while.
He further said that top officers above Grade 56 in all the services comprised 82% Bumiputras compared to 18% others.
This basically includes secretaries-general, deputy secretaries-general, directors-general, and deputy directors-general among others.
Based on the figures above, it is mind-boggling when the minister says that the Public Services Commission does not practice any quota system when selecting civil servants and that only the best are recruited.
I am not sure if he knows what he is talking about when he said all Malaysians have equal opportunities.
I believe most of the non-Bumiputeras in the 10% are in the teaching and health services, while there are very few in all other government services, especially the frontline staff.
Malaysia being a multi-racial country needs to seriously consider having a more representative civil service, with better racial composition to reflect the nation’s push for Keluarga Malaysia.
Screaming Keluarga Malaysia at every opportunity by the leaders does not make sense if it is not seen to be practiced in the civil service.
The call for Keluarga Malaysia must go beyond mere lip service. It just cannot be tokenism anymore, Malaysia has grown as a nation together comprising all races.
The present Malaysian civil service is predominantly Malay; the higher the service group, the higher its domination by Malays. All other racial groups, including non-Malay Bumiputeras, are under-represented to varying degrees.
This has been the situation since the inception of the New Economic Policy in 1970, the proportion of Malays in the civil service has grown from 60% to 90% now.
Various factors are responsible for a less representative civil service. Low non-Malay application is presently a problem. The salary structure also appears to be a factor in some cases.
The low number of non-Malays applying to join the government is the widespread perception of unequal chances in recruitment and career advancement.
More equality, recruitment, and career advancement would gradually increase the number of non-Malays applying. The race-based policy in civil servants' recruitment and promotion has made many talents reluctant to apply to join the civil service.
This has also demoralised many non-Bumiputera civil servants as they have been denied promotion due to their race and religion.
A civil service must truly be a representative of all races for it to be more responsive to the needs and wishes of the people, as civil servants affect both public policy and its implementation.
This will also reflect on national unity. The presently imbalanced civil service alienates the under-represented races.
While I am not calling for absolute meritocracy as a little tweaking is still needed despite five decades of positive discrimination, having the right person in the right place would enhance our civil service. Race should not be the be-all and end-all when selecting or promoting civil servants.
This is important for making the nation attractive to investors, especially in the current borderless world. While I know it cannot be done overnight, the motion to make the civil service better represented and more efficient must start now. There must be adequate political will by whoever the government is to have more non-Bumiputeras in the civil service. – The Vibes, July 20, 2022
Teresa Kok is DAP national vice-chairman and Seputeh MP
