Be neutral, Selangor state secretary tells his officers

SHAH ALAM (March 13, 2008): Selangor state secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud has told his officers to be neutral in carrying out their work and to remember that it is their duty to serve the government of the day. “I have met with all heads of department in the state and told them that it’s our job to follow the instructions from the new government of the day,” he said. “It will be business as usual, unless there are issues and matters involving changes in policies,” he added. Ramli said that some tasks and duties have been postponed until the new mentri besar is elected, but other than that it is work as usual. Speaking on allegations that state government documents have been removed or shredded, Ramli said: “There is a record of all government files, and anyone who removes files from the state secretariat building can be charged.” We have heightened security around the building, a measure that applies even when the situation is stable, he said. “I thank PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) and PAS (Parti Se-Islam Malaysia) members for not storming into any state buildings and assure them that all files and documents will be secured for the new state government’s use,” he added. On questions over disputes arising due to the management of community centres and other properties which used to be under the control of some Barisan Nasional component parties, Ramli advised: “Until the new government assumes control, don’t act on your own.” “We’ll wait for new instructions and if there is a new committee formed, the keys will be handed over via the appropriate process and regulations,” he said. On the fate of state officers, Ramli said there are three categories of state officers – those who are contracted, those who are appointed by the state under the state services commission and those appointed by the federal government via the public services commission. Those appointed by the federal government occupy federal positions and if the officer is not performing up to expectations, they can be replaced – but only with another federal officer, he said. Ramli said as for state-appointed officers, their services can be terminated but only via the due process.

Maria J. Dass The Sun ; Updated: 01:41AM Thu, 13 Mar 2008

Civil servants and new state-federal relations

For the first time Selangor, Perak and Kedah are won by non-component parties of the Barisan Nasional (BN) which has ruled the country for the past fifty years. Penang was captured by the Gerakan in 1969 but ruled only briefly before it became part of the BN. But the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition which won power in the state in the 12th general election is unlikely to share power with parties outside the group. Kelantan has been ruled by PAS for the past 18 years and Terengganu was briefly ruled by PAS in 1959 and for a term after the 1999 general election. Sabah too had been ruled by non-BN party or parties, sometimes as part of the coalition and sometimes outside the coalition. The fact is Penang (even if only briefly), Kelantan, Terengganu and Sabah have seen changes in their governments and their civil servants are quite adept at executing new policies introduced after a change of political masters. But for the civil servants of Selangor, Perak and Kedah it is a new experience. The BN had been entrenched there for so long that some civil servants, like those in the federal establishments, even began to think that that they were part of the political machinery of the coalition. It is important that civil servants in these states respond positively to the change since they are a fact of life, as seen elsewhere. The transition should be as brief as possible and with as minimal disruptions as possible because the rakyat has to be served. It is only the masters that have changed but as civil servants their work remains the same. If the new masters change existing policies to new ones or ask for projects to be cancelled in favour of new ones their response should only be "yes, minister" and act accordingly. And if they have not realised or have forgotten that their states are members of the Federation of Malaysia they will soon learn that within certain limits their states can act independently. They have got used to Malaysia acting like a unitary state because most of the time all the states are ruled by BN parties. And the states act as one because of political control effected through the state BN. But as a result of the general election five states are now ruled by non-BN parties and there is likelihood they are going to act more individually than they have been in the past.

The Sun : Updated: 10:35PM Tue, 11 Mar 2008

Concern is Leaders Action

"Concern should drive us into Action

and not into a depression"

Karen Horney

Never underestimate the value of even the most modest of gesture to help someone in need. Your kindness and good intentions can begin a chain reaction of helpful acts.

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

John Wesley

Leading effectively through ICT

Send feedback to PM via website

By ROSLINA MOHAMAD The STAR  2 Mac 2008

PEKAN: The people can now send their views, suggestions and complaints on the performance of the Government and its leadership to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi through the Warkah Untuk PM website. 

The website found at http://www.warkahuntukpm.com.my was launched on Saturday by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Seri Kenanga residence in Peramu here. 

Najib said that each message from the public will get a response from Abdullah. 

A separate folder will also be created for innovative and workable ideas and the first 100 that have implementation merit will be rewarded with the senders being granted a personal visit with the Prime Minister. 

Najib also presented a letter of appointment to Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor who is the website's ambassador. 

Speaking to reporters later, Najib said it was the era of information, communication and technology (ICT) and the Internet channel was a vital and effective link to obtain feedback from the public. 

``The people are free to give their ideas on anything and those with substance will be considered by the Government. 

``It is also a way for the Government to know issues of concern among the public such as security, education, economy and social,'' he added. 

Najib also said it was a two-way interactive and responsive communication that would have short and long-term effects, adding that it was something new adopted by the Government. 

He added that the launching came about during the elections but the website would still be operational even after the general election was over as it was an essential way to continuously gauge the people's views.

Leading succesfully for humanity

"Life is a succession of moments, To live each one is to succeed"

Corita Kent

"Man is not on earth solely for his own happiness,

He is there to realize great things for humanity"

Vincent Van Gogh

Untuk apa kita bekerja? Ada yang lebih utama dalam kehidupan dari mengejar wang, menghabiskan hari minggu, dan cuba menghindari tugas berat dengan sedikit rehat dan beriadah..Sifat diri kita yang mempunyai bakat memimpin, juga membolehkan kita menjadi calun memimpin mereka dengan memberikan khidmat dengan tujuan murni melepasi kepuasan diri sendiri.

Berkhidmat untuk masyarakat kita mungkin seolah olah satu beban dan dugaan yang memerlukan pengorbanan yang signifikan. Tetapi pemimpin yang menempuh laluan ini bekerja untuk tujuan yang murni...didalam cara yang memenuhi setidak tidaknya yang terbaik mengikut cara hidup dan semangat yang ada bagi membantu kehidupan kearah yang lebih baik jua...tanpa menghirau upah dan balasan yang nyata. Pilihlah tujuan dan bekerja kearahnya. Kita perlu membalas jasa tanpa berkira. Ini adalah sebahagian daripada kontrak tidak nyata, keatas bakat dimana kita sudah punyai keistimewaan yang dianugerahkan tuhan.

KSN on Overhauling the Public Services

Govt committed to overhauling services, says Chief Sec

By V.P. SUJATA The STAR 29 Feb 2008

PUTRAJAYA: The Government has given its commitment to overhaul the services at the land office, local authorities and front line agencies to ensure a responsive public service that fulfils its promises. 

In line with the National Vision and Mission, the Public Service Department is also committed to ensuring merit-based performance standards and increasing ethnic diversity in the service, said Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan. 

Sidek stressed that the plan seeked to raise market activity for a competitive economy while driving a balanced development through the eradication of poverty. 

Instilling a culture of serving with integrity and zero tolerance to corrupt practice was also a commitment, he said, adding that another area to be addressed collectively by both the private and public sectors was the issue of perception. 

"Perception can stem from simple things like not answering your telephone calls to answering them rudely to larger issues of the lack of transparency and accountability. 

"It takes years to build a reputation and only a second to destroy it," he said Friday in his speech when launching the first annual report of the Special Task Force to Facilitate Business (Pemudah) here. 

Sidek, who is Pemudah co-chairman, said the Government faced a great challenge to ensure the 28 ministries, 720 agencies and 144 local authorities delivered good services. 

"We are moving in the right direction. Maybe next year or in the next few years Malaysia will be up there and be a benchmark for the world to follow," he said, adding that apart from focusing on business facilitation, Pemudah also tackled issues that affected the lives of Malaysians. 

"Malaysia must be the country of choice not just for business but also to live in; that must be our collective goal," he said.

KSN on Corrupt civil servants

Corrupt civil servants will eventually be booted out: Chief Secretary

By : Hamidah Atan NST

PUTRAJAYA, Fri: 29 Feb 2008

Corrupt civil servants will be sidelined and, eventually, given the boot. Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan said even if the court of law had not decided on their cases, "we, in the civil service, will use existing rules governing civil servants, to ensure they are sidelined.

"And once the court of law decides, we will make sure there is an exit for them as we do not tolerate corruption," Sidek, who is also Pemudah co-chairman, said this after a meeting with Pemudah members at his office yesterday. He later presented Pemudah's annual report, the first for the task force set up last year to facilitate all aspects of doing business in the country and improve the public service delivery system. Also present was Pemudah other chairman, Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon.

Pemudah's 2008 commitments includes overhauling of services at land office, local authorities and frontline agencies, ensuring merit-based performance standards and increasing ethnic diversity in the public service, raising market activity for a competitive economy, driving balanced development through eradication of poverty and instilling a culture of serving with integrity and zero-tolerance to corrupt practices.

Saying he was not in a denial syndrome as far as corruption involving civil servants is concerned, Sidek added the problem, however, was not that prevalent. "If you are talking about 1.2 million in the civil service, we are not angels. There are some who stray but as far as I am concerned, we are not tolerating. We have zero-tolerance for this."

Continuous efforts and activities were being carried out to prevent the people from committing corruption. "That is why we go to a great extent to build the Malaysian Institute of Integrity.

"We are also telling the people and students that corruption is a no-go area, not only in terms of religion but the others. Don't let it happen and we have to make sure it does not happen."

Pemudah would also be relentless in efforts to improve Kuala Lumpur's ranking in the World Bank Report. Malaysia ranked 24th of 178 countries in the World Bank Doing Business 2008 Report. The World Bank had itemised the areas where Kuala Lumpur could improve further, he added.

"I believe when the results (following Pemudah efforts) started coming in, we will no longer stay at 24 but higher,” he said. "We are doing this not for the World Bank or the World Trade Organisation (WTO) but for ourselves. However, if this process by Pemudah can improve our ranking and public service delivery, that will be a double bonus. With the World Bank pressing us, we are pressing ourselves. The prime minister is the worse pressure cooker for us. He is the one who insisted that we do all this because he is the leader of this country. He wants to make us competitive and we are doing all this for our country."

Sidek also said there were some who were sceptical whether Pemudah could make a difference. "After presenting the six-month progress report to the prime minister on Aug 17, he decided that Pemudah carry on the work that it had begun and to keep up the momentum for change that it had successfully put in place."

The annual report, Sidek said, documented the fact that government's exhortations about making improvements to public service delivery had moved beyond rhetoric. "You will note from our annual report that we worked on urgent and important areas with high public interface. Time-consuming and dispensable processes are discarded."

Memastikan urusan mudah, selesa

Oleh AZMAN ANUAR dan JOHARDY IBRAHIM (WARTAWAN UTUSAN)

Mohd. Sidek Hassan.

BERBEZA dengan senario di bandar-bandar, penduduk di kampung dan desa-desa lazimnya, lebih cenderung meminta bantuan wakil-wakil rakyat untuk menguruskan perkara-perkara berkaitan agensi kerajaan.

Kadang-kadang isu yang dikemukakan oleh penduduk kampung begitu genting, misalnya melibatkan tanah-tanah yang hendak dimajukan atau dijual atau memerlukan pengesahan hak milik. Mungkin ada kes membabitkan kesejahteraan penduduk kampung seperti pembinaan jambatan atau jalan raya ke bandar.

Namun, kebanyakan isu yang dibawa menjurus kepada isu-isu ‘kecil dan peribadi’ seperti menjadi penjamin biasiswa anak atau menjadi pencadang untuk anak tempatan mendapat kerja di sesebuah kilang – yang memerlukan perhatian sama adil dan sama tekun oleh wakil rakyat, yang kemudiannya memanjangkan pula isu ke pihak berkuasa.

Acap kali juga, bila sesuatu urusan berbentuk permohonan yang dikemukakan itu tidak mendapat maklum balas, wakil rakyat terbabit menjadi sasaran kemarahan. Walhal ia berkaitan dengan kerenah birokrasi ataupun keputusan tertentu pihak berkuasa terlibat.

Ketua Setiausaha Negara, Tan Sri Mohd. Sidek Hassan ketika diminta mengulas senario itu berkata, peranan utama seseorang penjawat awam ialah bertugas untuk rakyat dan kerajaan memerintah.

Penekanan kepada usaha memberi perkhidmatan baik kepada rakyat, sememangnya menjadi fokus utama beliau sejak dilantik ke jawatan ketiga terpenting di peringkat eksekutif negara itu pada 4 Disember 2006.

‘‘Dalam apa jua keadaan, anggota perkhidmatan awam perlu bertindak dengan adil dan saksama serta dengan penuh integriti untuk kepentingan orang ramai,” katanya.

Menurutnya, majoriti rakyat berurusan dengan pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) sama ada majlis perbandaran, dewan bandar raya ataupun majlis daerah, selain pejabat-pejabat tanah.

‘‘Jika kita boleh selesaikan masalah-masalah rakyat di peringkat PBT, kita boleh dianggap sudah menyelesaikan 70 peratus masalah rakyat,’’ katanya dalam satu pertemuan dengan Utusan Malaysia, baru-baru ini.

Mohd. Sidek berkata, perihal semua permohonan yang dikemukakan oleh rakyat hendaklah dijawab, tanpa mengira daripada sumber mana, baik secara persendirian atau melalui wakil rakyat.

‘‘Dalam pertemuan khas dengan datuk-datuk bandar dan Yang Dipertua PBT, saya nyatakan kepada mereka bahawa jika mereka berjaya menyelesaikan permohonan atau permintaan rakyat, tentulah rakyat akan berpuas hati.

‘‘Sebaliknya jika gagal, rakyat tidak kata datuk bandar atau PBT tertentu yang gagal tetapi rakyat akan kata kerajaan yang gagal. Ini mendatangkan kesan besar kepada imej pentadbiran kerajaan,” kata beliau.

Dalam aspek ‘menjawab’ permasalahan rakyat, tidak semestinya bermakna ia terus dilaksanakan. Misalnya jika ada permintaan membaiki jalan. Jika kebetulan bajet belum ada, projek itu boleh ditangguhkan sehingga bajet mencukupi.

‘‘Namun, paling mustahak ialah PBT atau agensi kerajaan terbabit hendaklah memberi maklum balas secara bertulis atau bersemuka bagi menerangkan secara telus dan langsung mengenai isu terbabit. Hanya dengan memberi kefahaman, maka rakyat akan faham.

‘‘Rakyat adalah mata dan telinga kepada sektor awam untuk memberi perkhidmatan baik. Jika terima sesuatu aduan, menjadi kewajipan untuk mereka turun padang.

‘‘Jika ada orang membuat aduan, jangan pula memarahi mereka. Sebaliknya, hendaklah bersikap responsif,” kata Mohd. Sidek.

Walau apa pun cabaran dalam melaksanakan projek pembangunan dan merealisasi pembangunan mapan negara, penjawat awam perlu mengurangkan kerenah birokrasi dan menjauhi gejala rasuah serta penyelewengan.

Semua agensi kerajaan perlu komited dan sentiasa berusaha meningkatkan sistem penyampaian perkhidmatan masing-masing bagi memenuhi tuntutan dan keperluan semua lapisan pelanggan yang terus meningkat.

Sehingga kini, pelbagai inisiatif telah dijalankan oleh kerajaan untuk meningkatkan kualiti perkhidmatan awam.

Antaranya, termasuklah Sistem Pengurusan Kualiti Menyeluruh (TQM); Pelaksanaan Sistem Pengurusan Kualiti berdasarkan MS ISO 9001:2000; Petunjuk Prestasi Utama (KPI); Piagam Pelanggan; Penandaarasan; Kumpulan Meningkat Mutu Kerja (KMK); Anugerah-Anugerah Kualiti dan Inovasi; Pejabat Perkhidmatan Pelanggan dan sebagainya.

Selain itu, mekanisme pemantauan dan penilaian diberi penekanan melalui penubuhan pasukan-pasukan khas dan jawatankuasa-jawatankuasa tertentu yang bertindak sebagai pemangkin kepada usaha meningkatkan kualiti perkhidmatan.

Mohd. Sidek berkata, di peringkat kementerian dan agensi Pusat, kerajaan mempunyai Pasukan Petugas Menangani Kerenah Birokrasi, Panel 3P, Jawatankuasa 2 Keutuhan Pengurusan, Pasukan Petugas Khas Pemudahcara Perniagaan (Pemudah) dan pelbagai pasukan kerja yang berkaitan.

‘‘Sudah tentu inisiatif yang diwujudkan ini memerlukan komitmen penuh dan berterusan daripada semua penjawat awam bagi memastikan keberkesanan pelaksanaannya.

‘‘Tanggungjawab ini seharusnya dipikul bersama oleh semua lapisan penjawat awam tidak kira di peringkat tinggi mahupun peringkat yang paling bawah sekalipun dalam usaha memberikan perkhidmatan yang terbaik dan cemerlang,” katanya.

Di samping itu, untuk meningkatkan sistem penyampaian perkhidmatan, penggunaan teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi (ICT) perlu dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya.

Sungguhpun kerajaan telah melaksanakan pelbagai projek ICT, namun masih banyak lagi ruang dan peluang untuk meraih potensi ICT bagi meningkatkan lagi kualiti sistem penyampaian.

Tumpuan yang lebih hendaklah diberikan kepada penyediaan maklumat dan perkhidmatan kerajaan secara dalam talian, tanpa perlu pelanggan berurusan di kaunter.

Dengan cara ini, maklumat dan perkhidmatan kerajaan boleh dicapai pada bila-bila masa dan di mana sahaja.

Dalam hal ini, inisiatif eKL yang sedang giat diusahakan, merupakan satu pendekatan yang sangat relevan dan bermakna dengan cara dan gaya kehidupan masyarakat di Lembah Klang.

Projek eKL membolehkan perkhidmatan agensi-agensi kerajaan di kawasan Lembah Klang disampaikan secara berintegrasi dan disambung secara dalam talian.

Ini bermakna, agensi-agensi boleh berkomunikasi antara satu sama lain dan saling berkongsi maklumat serta kepakaran dalam menyediakan perkhidmatan dalam talian secara end-to-end.

eKL memanfaatkan kemudahan elektronik untuk tujuan penghantaran, pembayaran, membuat aduan, pertanyaan, dan juga mendapatkan maklumat.

Mohd. Sidek berkata, ICT merupakan alat yang dapat membantu penjawat awam untuk menawarkan perkhidmatan yang lebih cepat, memberi tindak balas yang tepat serta membantu memendekkan masa menunggu, seterusnya mencapai matlamat untuk meningkatkan kualiti penyampaian perkhidmatan kepada pelanggan.

‘‘Selain itu, elemen-elemen integriti dapat diterapkan melalui perluasan penggunaan ICT. Ruang dan peluang salah guna kuasa, penyelewengan dan rasuah mudah dikekang sama ada di pihak pemberi mahupun penerima perkhidmatan.

‘‘Semua usaha yang dijalankan untuk meningkatkan kualiti sistem penyampaian perkhidmatan bertujuan memuaskan hati pelanggan. Kita hendaklah memastikan agar orang ramai mudah dan berasa selesa berurusan dengan kerajaan,” katanya.

Namun begitu, masih terdapat pelbagai aduan dan rungutan terutamanya dari segi lambat memberi maklum balas tentang status sesuatu permohonan, lambat menjawab panggilan telefon, layanan kasar di kaunter, tidak responsif kepada aduan, lambat memberi maklum balas tentang status sesuatu permohonan, prosedur kerja yang menyulitkan serta undang-undang dan prosedur yang lapuk dan tidak relevan dengan persekitaran semasa.

‘‘Adalah amat menyedihkan sekiranya maklum balas pelanggan yang sudah berusia lebih sebulan dibiarkan begitu sahaja dalam peti cadangan tanpa mengambil sebarang tindakan.

‘‘Adalah amat memalukan sekiranya seorang pelanggan perlu datang semula ke kaunter pada keesokan harinya disebabkan oleh satu kesilapan kecil dalam borang permohonan yang dapat dibetulkan sendiri oleh petugas kaunter.

“Justeru, saya berharap agar semua penjawat awam lebih proaktif dan responsif dalam segala urusan dengan pelanggan,” katanya.

Mohd. Sidek berkata, semua penjawat awam perlu sentiasa bersedia untuk ditegur dan seharusnya semua teguran hendaklah diterima dengan hati terbuka.

‘‘Sebarang aduan dan teguran yang diterima dapat membantu kita mengenal pasti kelemahan-kelemahan yang wujud. Melaluinya kita boleh teruskan usaha untuk menambah baik perkhidmatan yang diberikan,” katanya.

Sidek: Proper project planning vital

KUALA LUMPUR: Poor monitoring of projects and failure to terminate problem contractors early on are among the common reasons for ailing projects . 

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan said a proper system of planning, implementation and monitoring of projects would ensure that projects were completed on schedule. 

Proper planning includes the right selection of sites and contractors.  

Mohd Sidek, who chairs the National Action Committee that monitors the implementation of Government projects, said that the early termination of problem contractors after giving them warning was a proactive step and was not meant to victimise anyone. 

He said this at the launch of SK Danau Kota 2 in Jalan Genting Klang yesterday. The school is one of 268 ailing projects revived under the Eighth Malaysia Plan by the Education Ministry through its “sick” projects committee.  

Construction of the school began in 2001 but it went through three contractors by its completion last month. Also, the original cost of RM6.3mil spiralled by 50% to RM9.4mil. As a result of the delay, the students had to attend classes at SMK Danau Kota since last year.  

The STAR 28 Feb 2008

Penghargaan TPKor kepada Asnor's

Salam tuan, 

Terima kasih di atas usaha tuan memanjangkan ilmu yang diperoleh, samada secara rasmi 

(daripada taklimat Strategic Plan dulu) atau melalui pembelajaran berterusan, kepada 

seluruh warga JPS. Saya sentiasa berdoa semua warga JPS memiliki sikap seperti tuan -- 

berkongsi ilmu, berkongsi vision dan berkongsi azam untuk melihat JPS mencapat taraf 

dunia menjelang 2010. 

Penghargaan harus diberi kepada semua PPSN dan Pengarah Bahagian (termasuk SMART, HTC 

& Pengarah Projek) dan semua warga yang terlibat dengan penggubalan SP tersebut. BPKor 

hanya memikul amanah untuk merealisasikan wawasan kita menerusi perkongsian SP ini. 

Selamat maju jaya. 

"INTEGRITI TERAS KUALITI" 

"BERKHIDMAT UNTUK NEGARA" 

Kapt. Ir. Anuar bin Yahya 

Timbalan Pengarah (Perancangan Dasar) 

Bahagian Pembangunan Korporat