PUBLIC servants vying for promotion will now be assessed based on work performance rather than seniority, said Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Previously, Anwar said the Public Services Department (PSD) would assess civil servants based on their seniority though some were lazy and their productivity was low.
Citing an example, he said the learning curriculum for Artificial Intelligence (AI) was proposed in 2027 but he had rejected it, saying the process should begin by next month, as Malaysia was competing with other nations for the technology.
He said that the civil service will now be strictly assessed on their productivity and performance rather than just their seniority.
Anwar said that those who do not perform will only receive a two to four percent hike in salary adjustments whereas top performers can get up to a 13 percent raise.
He said one of the challenges in luring foreign direct investments was the citation of each nation's bureaucracy.
"Our standards to process paperwork and requirements must not be of local standard but world - class par excellence. In some instances, we must meet the same standards of the investors' host countries if we want their capital."
This cannot be helped as many countries are jostling for a slice of the new tech market in areas such as AI, said Anwar.
He said this when closing the three-day northern region's Madani outreach programme at the Pesta site in Sungai Nibong, Penang.
"Countries are taking a radical shift towards faster approval on investment matters so it can help spur the growth of their respective economies.
“The bureaucracy in the country needs to be fast tracked also to ensure our global competitiveness, " he added. - The Vibes, May 5, 2024.
