Don't antagonise civil servants, Daim tells ministers

Ragananthini Vethasalam Ragananthini Vethasalam Updated 4 years ago · Published on 27 Nov 2019 4:14PM · 5 Comments

Daim Zainuddin says ministries would be more efficient if they were run like businesses. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Najjua Zulkefli, November 27, 2019.

MINISTERS must work with civil servants and not antagonise them, former finance minister Daim Zainuddin said today.

He said there were “gaps” between politicians and civil servants.

“Unfortunately, there is a gap between politicians and civil servants. According to them, there is mistrust,” he said at a forum today.

He said politicians must strive to work with civil servants as they were the ones who implemented policies and plans.

“If you antagonise them and you don’t trust them, they will say ‘it’s you who doesn’t trust me, don’t come to me’,” he said at a forum on poverty in Malaysia organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI).

Claims of sabotage within the civil service were made recently in the case of a contract to supply fertiliser to rice farmerrs.

A member of Amanah, the party of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Salahuddin Ayub, said the awarding of the contract to a company after an open tender, had been made without the minister’s knowledge.

The issue came to light when Salahuddin was accused by an opposition MP of writing to the prime minister to support the contract be given to the National Farmers’ Organisation (Nafas), despite the open tender process.

Salahuddin said no contract has been awarded and that the Finance Ministry would make the final decision on the tender.

Prior to this, several ministers have also alleged that a “deep state” is at work within the civil service to sabotage the government.

Daim, who was also the Council of Eminent Persons chairman, today said ministries could be more efficient if they are run like businesses.

In order to do this, ministries had to plan well and plan ahead.

“The key is planning. I would like if all ministries are run the way businesses are run, then they can become very efficient.”

Failure to plan is dangerous, he added, as it resulted in wastage and U-turns by the government.

As an example, Daim said in the past, the Treasury, which is under the Ministry of Finance, and the Economic Planning Unit, which is under the Prime Minister’s Department, had worked well together despite being under the purview of different bodies. – November 27, 2019.

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Comments

  • Common man, a lit of civil servant are corrupted. That is why they are not cooperating with ministers. Transfer them if they refise to follow instructions. When you were the Finance Minister, you were so strict with the civil servants

    Posted 4 years ago by Penganalisa L · Reply

  • Just sack those who don't toe the line! Their salaries are paid by us, the tax payers.

    Posted 4 years ago by Chee yee ng · Reply

  • It takes two hands to clap. You cant just blame the ministers. Some of the civil servants are aligned to the opposition. What can the minister do if they have their own plans in mind.

    Posted 4 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply

  • "As an example, Daim said in the past, the Treasury, which is under the Ministry of Finance, and the Economic Planning Unit, which is under the Prime Ministers Department, had worked well together despite being under the purview of different bodies."

    Tun, have you forgotten that that those units had worked well together because they were all under the same minister, Najib Razak?

    Posted 4 years ago by Kyle Choo · Reply

  • Govt Servants must follow the govt policies when executing their duties in making govt decisions. For example, if the policy is for tender aMount exceeding 100million, minister consent must be acquired before tender is awarded after screening by tender board. So this is straight forward and no issue of minister interference. If u Ministers don't know how to set policies, ask LGE, he has done superbly well in Penang to systemise govt decision so that there is no abuse of power in "approving" and also in"not approving".

    Posted 4 years ago by James Wong · Reply