RECENTLY, the American President’s Chief of Staff was sacked, or released, after less than 6 months in the Office of the President or POTUS; but which they label the White House. My tongue-in-cheek retort is: after their Black President, it should be renamed the Black House, as this then will fully qualify the current incumbent to hold office!

Culture, traditions, and ethics of partisan politics, whether globally or at home, is destroying and tearing apart the fabric of all real democracies worldwide. In the Malaysian case, our issue is not whether the Prime Minister can or should elect the Chief Secretary, but whether the person is competent enough to hold the prestigious office.

It is our professional tradition that the Malaysian Chief of Staff must always remain politically neutral. The appointee is Cabinet-level Secretary and the most senior Public Servant. That appointee must be dependable in terms of character, competence, and service credibility.

In the US, there is even a TV series about their West Wing “partisan politics” in the White House. That series displays and often reveals real-time political life and intrigues which happens therein almost in real time. In Malaysia, only rumours are spread but little is taught about neutrality in political life.

I am, and have therefore become, interested in ‘real life politics’ the last 15 years with more time on my hands, post-retirement. But, why learn from Cable TV and the US of A? I believe they have a truer and more real model of a modern democracy. They still dream good and high ideals and ideas.

Hope runs high when every truth matters.

Because we do have a colonial heritage and our jurisprudential legacy is from the Westminster model of Parliamentary Democracy, we can still hope and aspire for a more accurate benchmark of modern governance; consistent with truth-seeking and truth-speaking. Such truths must not only be spoken but challenged, reiterated, and defended in the Parliament of Malaysia.

Malaysia’s governance heritage

What then is the pragmatic governance model for a multi-ethnic reality within Malaysia? Our first reality is that the Federal Constitution speaks of itself; that it is the Supreme Law of this country. The trusted custodians of that truth in Malaysia are each of the four institutions of our Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, and the Royalty.

By default too, all forms of media have an equal custodian responsibility for recording and reporting reality; whether by print or electronic media. All of the above five institutions, including citizenry of Malaysians of the Merdeka Generation, as civil society advocates, are equal stewards of our historic truths; confined always by the limits of constitutional authority.

Therefore, when a well -known and credible global citizen who has worked with Wold Bank, like Dr Lim Teck Ghee, highlighted his concerns about our Chief of Staff, or the Cabinet Secretary, I have to admit he has hit the nail on the head!

Sadly too, there was an even more telling abuse of that sacred neutral role recently when a former Public Service colleague and friend, who was also a former Chief Secretary, overlooked all codes and ethics related to Public Service professionalism.

Now, in my calculation and conclusion, the PTD Service culture and values has been totally destroyed and is now rotten; if we measure the values from the actions of these two Cabinet Secretaries. The PTD Service was always assumed to be absolutely honest, truthful and sincere, but always neutral. – October 2, 2017.

* KJ John worked in public service for 32 years, retired, and started a civil group for which he is chairman of the board. He writes to inform and educate, arguing for integration with integrity in Malaysia. He believes such a transformation has to start with the mind before it sinks into the heart!

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.