Saturday June 27, 2009

Stability in public sector jobs

By TEE LIN SAY

THERE are more than enough jokes and gibes about the civil service. Says Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan: “Yes, I know there is this perception of us, that we’re all lazy and that the public sector is bloated, rightly or wrongly – wrongly, I think.”

The key word here is perception. Most Malaysians view public sector jobs as unattractive. The results of a recent online web poll by recruitment specialists Robert Walters are telling.

Professional candidates from 17 countries were asked whether they would consider moving from private to public sector employment. Overall, 67% of the respondents said they were “more than happy to take a role in the public sector”.

In Malaysia, only 36% said so, the lowest among the six Asian markets covered by the poll. A further 40% of Malaysian professionals said they would only work in the public sector if they couldn’t get hired in the private sector. The remaining 24% would not even consider a public sector role.

Is the low appeal of public sector jobs among our professionals justified? StarBizWeek spoke to some government employees, past and present:

·Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam retired as Transport Ministry secretary-general in 1989, after serving in the civil service for three decades. He is today, among others, Transparency International Malaysia president and a corporate advisor in the Sunway group.

He says his most challenging times were when he was in the public sector.

“The private sector is performance-driven, but in the public sector, we were not just measured by performance. It was how we also took into account public interest, religion and social issues, to derive a holistic approach in our policies,” he explains.

He adds that he had a very satisfying time in the civil service as he had good leaders and peers.

It was family tradition that nudged him towards a government job. “My grandfather served in the civil service. My father also followed suit. So it was a very natural thing for me to do,” he says.

After obtaining his economics degree in Universiti Malaya in Singapore in 1959, Navaratnam began working as assistant secretary in the Health and Social Welfare Ministry.

“At that time, being in the civil service was to have the best job in the country. It was very prestigious. When you signed your name, you put ‘MSC’ (for Malaysian Civil Service) beneath it,” he recalls.

“Civil servants at that time were groomed under British tutelage and they had good academic background. We were suppose to take over the white men’s jobs.” As the civil service attracted the best graduates, there was a strong value system and no corruption, he adds.

He argues that this has changed in the 1970s, partly owing to the decline of the education system. As a result, he points out, there are senior civil servants who cannot speak English or think clearly and independently.

He says civil servants must be able to work for the government of the day, regardless of their individual political views.

“The March 8 general election results were a shock to civil servants. They were not used to it. Until civil servants learn to serve the government of the day without prejudice, we will still have problems,” he adds.

He believes that some government officers lack initiative because they do not want to rock the boat and jeopardise their positions.

“Do you know that civil servants are the only people on this globe who are not affected by the recession? So why should they change? They won’t lose their job. They will still get their bonuses and salaries. That’s the difference between the public and private sectors. The public service is so secure,” he points out.

Although Navaratnam says things appear to be improving, he warns, “As long as there is no premium given to fairness and meritocracy, things will not chug along. If these two criteria are given emphasis, Malaysia will zoom, and this will be a blessed and happy country.”

“We will have disunity if discrimination continues. There is still a sense of alienation among the non-Malays in the civil service.”

·Retiree Jacqueline Chew Guat Looi, 58, a teacher for some three decades, values the benefits that come with government service.

“Perhaps, while you are in the civil service, you may not appreciate it so much. But now I do. Knowing that I’ll be getting my pension for the rest of my life does provide some relief,” she says.

As Chew’s husband, who was also a civil servant, died last year, she is also entitled to his pension for the remainder of her life.

“The money is more than enough. It’s really quite comfortable,” says Chew, who travels regularly from Taiping to visit her children working in Kuala Lumpur.

She has yet to decide what to do with her retirement gratuity. It is a toss-up between acquiring a hair treatment franchise and continue her free and easy lifestyle.

·Samantha (not her real name), in her mid-30s, has no regrets switching to public service. After eight years in the private sector, Samantha is now with an economic planning agency.

“I get a lot of satisfaction because I know that what I do really impacts the country’s economic development. There is a sense that I am contributing,” she says.

She adds that in her department, the work culture is similar to that of the private sector. Nobody goes home at 5.30pm sharp. When there are projects to complete, it is normal to work up to 10pm. “There is a real need to have urgency and to be fast, as we deal with foreigners looking to invest in the country,” she explains.

Samantha says some of the perks of the job include housing loans at a lower interest rate and over a longer repayment period. Once the civil servant retires, the loan amount will be deducted from the pension.

“The downside is the increment and bonuses when compared to the private sector. Still, I feel the benefits outweigh the cons. I’ve pretty much decided to work here until I retire,” she says.

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