Civil servants will still be given priority to fill senior posts in the government, including in the Premier Group, even though there is a policy which allows non-civil servants to fill the posts in the New Civil Service Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) which takes effect next month.
Public Service Director-General Abu Bakar Abdullah said non-civil servants would be considered for appointment to the posts only if there were no suitable candidates from among the eligible civil servants to be appointed to the post concerned.
“Civil servants need not worry about this. If we don’t make this provision now and when the need arises, only then we want to do the amendments, etc, it will not be nice.
“Every scheme that we implement is not just to address existing problems, but also looking at future possibilities,” he told reporters yesterday.
It has been reported in the newspapers that under the new scheme, the premier civil service posts, JUSA and Staff Officers, will be re-designated to allow appointment of experts from outside, including the public sector, to the posts.
However, the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) opposed the policy.
Abu Bakar said the non-civil servants would also be required to go through similar process, like other government officers, including screening and evaluation.
“They will be evaluated in terms of their knowledge on service regulations, finance and audit, etc, which means they have to be efficient, are capable and with experience to be considered for the posts,’ he added.
Abu Bakar said implementation of the SBPA was not intended to down-size the public service, but to control its size according to needs.
This year alone, 29,000 posts in the civil service had been abolished, he added.
– Bernama
Admin
Jimmy Tan
