‘REVIEW RULES FOR GOVT SERVANTS’
Civil servants must be prohibited from joining political parties, says ex-chief justice
FORMER chief justice Tun Zaki Azmi has called for the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993 to be amended to tighten rules against political involvement of public servants and employees of statutory bodies and government-linked companies (GLCs).
At the moment, he said, civil servants were not totally prohibited from participating in politics with those below a certain rank being allowed to hold positions up to a certain level, while those above certain positions were not.
He said the duty to observe reserve in politics did not apply to those in GLCs with this freedom often leading employees in GLCs to indirectly participate in partisan politics.
“I wish to suggest that all government servants be prohibited to even register as a member of any political party.
“If he or she wishes to be one, he or she should resign from being a civil servant,” he said yesterday.
He was commenting on the recent media report that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had admonished senior civil servants who went overboard to support the former Barisan Nasional government at the 14th General Election.
He said a new code of political ethics for civil servants must be drawn up, and perhaps, a commission should be set up to re-look into the rules and practices of the public sector that hindered meritocracy, clean government, multiracialism, inclusive development and economic growth.
“Public servants must be loyal to the new government and implement its policies.
“If they have any problem about complying with them, they should resign,” he said.
“They must distinguish between loyalty to political parties and to the government.”
Zaki, who was a civil servant for 15 years, said civil servants lacked such an ethos perhaps due to the uninterrupted 61-year rule of the same party at the federal level.
“After having been under the same government for so long, perhaps our civil servants have lost that understanding of how they are supposed to act, particularly the younger ones,” Zaki added.
He said civil servants should obey the lawful political wishes of whomever was in power and serve governments of any party with the same degree of commitment.
At the same time, they must exhibit political impartiality, he added.
“They must not campaign for or against a political party.
“They must not misuse state resources or state powers for partisan political purposes.
“They must act in the interest of the government and no other alternative public interest.”
He said civil service neutrality cast duties not only on civil servants, but also on ministers.
He said ministers should articulate clear goals and strategies for the ministry and provide guidance to public officials to deliver results.
“Unfortunately, sometimes the policies are not clearly expressed.
“Political leaders must protect civil servants from political interference and must not involve them in political activities or debates.”
“They must not campaign for or against a political party. They must not misuse state resources or state powers for partisan political purposes. They must act in the interest of the government and no other alternative public interest.” TUN ZAKI AZMI
Former chief justice