R. Nadeswaran and Terence Fernandez

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan and Director-General of the Public Services Department Tan Sri Ismail Adam tell R. Nadeswaran and Terence Fernandez that where the civil service is concerned, it is not business as usual

 Facilitate not frustrate. This was the advice of the prime minister to government departments. Do you think government servants of late have lived up to the PM’s expectations?

Sidek: The PM’s expectation is clear: strengthen the public service delivery, get people who can make this happen, reward performance and punish detractors.

What is more important is to ensure we have the tools to make people attain their fullest potential. This is a challenge for any organisation. We must inculcate a culture of men with values and conscience. It is through this that all successes can then be derived.

What is key to a change of mindset to cater to the public service of the 21st Century?

Sidek: Having the right people and leadership ensures the internalisation of the mindset change needed. It has to be from top down and bottom up. There is a push to focus on implementation and enforcement. Over the last 50 years, we have accumulated enough strategies; many regulations. Where we need to strengthen is to put this at work.

The leaders we select to effect the change in mindset must be ones who are able to create a culture where we deliver what we promise and we deliver this with pride and integrity. We don’t have to be at a certain position to effect change. We don’t have to abide by status quo if it means frustrating everyone. Anyone anywhere in the service with a great idea of progress must be empowered to effect change with integrity and pride.

The adage: "always change processes and structures while they still function" is not said for nothing.

Ismail: Efforts to ensure enhanced delivery have started. It is not up to us to assess if we have met expectations. That is the role of the public. The best gauge is the rate of public complaints and dissatisfaction. Less means more!

Complaints registered may not represent satisfaction totally. The rakyat may think that it is not worth reporting hence we need to encourage a dialogue-based society. We need to place the faith back into the public that the service wants to be stood accounted.

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Oleh: BAHAROM MAHUSIN ( Utusan Malaysia )

KETUA Setiausaha Negara, Tan Sri Mohd. Sidek Hassan selalu mengingatkan para pegawai kerajaan tentang kisah kesukaran penduduk kampungnya pada tahun 1950-an. Berasal dari Cherok Paloh, kampung tepi laut yang lima puluh tahun lalu terletak dalam daerah Pekan tetapi kini menjadi sebahagian daripada daerah Kuantan, Mohd. Sidek menggunakan analogi Cherok Paloh untuk menggambarkan betapa pentingnya sistem penyampaian kerajaan dan kewujudan pentadbiran awam yang mesra rakyat.

Cherok Paloh terletak di kuala Sungai Pahang Tua dengan pantainya yang luas menghadap Laut China Selatan.

Menurut Mohd. Sidek, pada tahun 1950-an apabila penduduk Cherok Paloh ingin membayar cukai tanah, mereka berjalan kaki atau naik basikal. Sebelum dapat sampai ke jalan besar untuk ke Pekan, mereka terpaksa menyeberang sungai dengan perahu.

Sebahagian besar penduduk Cherok Paloh bekerja sebagai petani dan mengusahakan kebun getah, kelapa dan berkebun sayur. Membayar cukai tanah sekali setahun merupakan satu beban berat kepada mereka. Ketika membayar cukai tanah, mereka perlu meninggalkan kerja-kerja menoreh getah. Biasanya mereka menunggu musim tengkujuh. Apabila hari hujan dan mereka tidak dapat menoreh, mereka akan bersiap untuk ke Pekan bagi membayar cukai tanah.

Selepas berjalan kaki, mengayuh basikal, menaiki perahu menyeberang Sungai Pahang Tua, dan kemudian berjalan kaki atau mengayuh basikal ke Pekan yang terletak kira-kira 25 kilometer dari Cherok Paloh, hari telah pun petang. Kata Mohd, Sidek, ketika mereka sampai, pejabat tanah kadangkala telah pun ditutup dan kakitangan di pejabat itu menasihatkan penduduk Cherok Paloh yang hendak membayar cukai tanah supaya datang semula keesokan harinya.

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