Political appointees must meet the standards
THE clarification made by the chief secretary to the government via Twitter a few days ago on the delay in processing the appointments of Pakatan Harapan political appointees should put to rest the unwanted publicity that has further tarnished the image of the civil service. It is not an act of sabotage but rather to ensure that the appointment is done according to the standard operating procedures.
When Pakatan took over Putrajaya, it was revealed that the previous government had more than 17,000 political appointees and incurred a huge expenditure for remuneration and other perks. This unfortunate situation should not be allowed to recur, and the new government with its clarion call to eradicate corruption, abuse and mismanagement should allow the Public Service Department (PSD) and Public Service Commission (PSC) to do their job without fear or favour.
The process of vetting to determine the recommended grades based on qualifications and experience must comply with the existing circulars, procedures and guidelines. The task undertaken by the PSD and PSC is not an act of defiance. It is being done in good faith to ensure good public governance.
Circular 6/2012 outlines the qualifications and experience required for the posts of senior private secretary, private secretary, press secretary, and special officers in the minister’s office. Deputy ministers are entitled to only the senior private secretary and private secretary. The support staff are normally taken from the existing clerks and office boys in the ministry. The highest grade is the senior private secretary who is appointed at Grade 54 for the minister’s office and Grade 48 or 52 for the deputy minister’s office. The appointment of the proposed officers would be an easy exercise if they met all the requirements.
However, the exercise may be delayed when there is an anomaly in the qualifications, experience and grade. For example, the PSD and PSC may have a daunting task justifying the appointment of an N17 clerk, who does not have the academic qualification at tertiary level, to fill the post of Grade 54. And there are also political appointees who demand a higher grade like JUSA C or B. These examples are possible reasons why the PSD and PSC could not issue letters of appointment to the political appointees.
The chief secretary is hoping to transform the civil service into an independent and transparent institution, and he wants to discard the old mindset and culture of blind obedience. The desired outcome is a civil service that upholds profes- sionalism and integrity, and it must be allowed to work based on the rules and regulations that are enshrined in the established laws, circulars and guidelines.
The political pressure on the appointment of political appointees should not be allowed to derail the rebuilding process of the civil service. When political masters dictate what the civil service should do, when and how, then the old mindset, habits and culture of blind obedience would still be maintained in the new government. Consequently, good public governance in the civil service would likely suffer again.
Spanish philosopher George Santayana once said: “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Let us hope that history does not repeat itself.