No evidence 400,000 civil servants stressed — PSD

PUTRAJAYA: Claims by the Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services Malaysia (Cuepacs) that there are about 400,000 civil servants who are under stress has no concrete evidence, said the Public Service Department (PSD) yesterday.

Its senior deputy director of the psychology management division, Dr Abdul Jalil Hassan said the data was Cuepacs’ estimation merely based on studies which were not comprehensive of civil servants.

Without denying that there were civil servants who were stressed, he said the study conducted by Cuepacs was based on a simple sample involving university students and some civil servants.

Cuepacs was previously reported as saying that more than 400,000 civil servants suffered psychological stress, with some even holding psychiatric cards, with the main cause being the cost of living and work-related stress.

Abdul Jalil said in a media briefing here yesterday that the definition of stress must be clearly understood as there was negative and positive stress.

“Negative stress (distress) happens when something you want does not happen while positive stress (eustress) can improve the service and delivery of performance to the public,” he said.

Asked for the number of civil servants who were stressed, Abdul Jalil said the department did not have the data and planned to conduct a study to find out the actual number.

He said the division could tackle stress among civil servants by providing psychology officers in all ministries, departments and states.

On the claim by Cuepacs that there were some civil servants who held psychiatry cards, Abdul Jalil said these cards were confidential between the patient and his doctor, and not revealed to others except by the cardholder.

“The psychiatry card is not to confirm that a person has a mental problem, but it makes it easier for the cardbolder to get treatment and assistance,” he said. - Bernama