A truly independent ACA

The Sun from the sun2surf; THE Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) proposal to make itself more independent by establishing a commission will go a long way towards improving its image, which has taken a battering of late. The fallacy that the agency acts without fear or favour is further compounded by the recent admission of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that he has called up ACA officers to question them on a case they were investigating. However, one hopes that the proposal by the ACA for a commission to investigate corruption – modelled after Hongkong’s very successful Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will not be another cosmetic exercise in the same image as Suhakam – the Malaysian Human Rights Commission that has proven to be a toothless tiger, whose annual report is not even tabled in Parliament. One reason for this is that after all the hard work the ACA puts in to investigate and make a case against an individual or individuals, whether the law will take its course hinges solely on the Attorney-General’s discretion. Public confidence in the system has waned due to this discretion, which the people perceive is often used against those abused, and in favour of those protected, by the system. Thus, one cannot fault the public’s lack of enthusiasm for the proposal, which to all intents and purposes is a good suggestion, as a commission against corruption would make the agency answerable to the people via Parliament. Which is why, it is imperative that those tasked with ensuring the commission’s independence and effectiveness must be sincere in wanting to rehabilitate the image of the ACA – an agency that in itself has been rocked by allegations of corruption and abuse of power by its former head. Firstly, the commission must comprise respected individuals from various strata of government, society and civil groups – be it former policemen, judges and members of organisations which champion transparency – to imbue checks-and-balances and reduce the likelihood of interference from third parties. Secondly, the decision to proceed or not with prosecution must not be vested solely on one individual. A mechanism must be in place where the Attorney-General should be made answerable for his decision – making him, too, accountable to the people. Thirdly, the commission must give detailed reasons as to why a case has been dropped. The present attitude of "we don’t need to explain or inform" does not help instil public confidence in the ACA. Fourthly, there must be adequate protection for whistle-blowers. Previously, those who lodged reports were treated as suspects. One hopes that finally, there is political will to ensure a competent, effective and transparent system to fight graft.

60 tahun bersara - Ah lamanya menunggu !

Semua PK (Pegawai Kerajaan) mungkin merasa lega diatas keperihatinan pihak PM menerima baik lima daripada enam tuntutan Cuepacs baru baru ini. Aku pun macam mereka jua, amat berasa lega, terutama PTK yang aku rasa harus segera digantikan dengan kaedah lebih menyenangkan dan mesra pekerja. Bagi honororium tu tidaklah  begitu berat jika tidak dapat pun, kalau ada akan mengocak suasana harga barangan yang tidak menguntungkan sesiapa jua akhirnya. Selepas lega beberapa hari, terlintas dibenak hati ini memikirkan kenapa aku perlu menunggu lagi empat tahun baru boleh dapat peluang naik pangkat? Lanjutan umur dari 56 ke 60 akan membuatkan orang yang patut mengosongkan tempat kerana bersara tidak berbuat demikian kerana dia harus menunggu lagi empat tahun untuk terus berkhidmat...Dalam benak hati aku dan selalu juga aku berdoa agar dia cepatlah bersara kerana dia tidak membawa sebarang kualiti kepimpinan, tidak produktif dan tidak memberikan menafaat langsung kepada perkhidmatan...Dalam benak hati ku yang tidak tau samada betul atau tidaknya kata hati ini, berbisik lagi... Kalau lah satu jawatan utama cepat dikosongkan maka akan memberi peluang kepada tujuh lagi orang muda dinaikkan pangkatnya dengan semangat dan idea baru bagi merubah keadaan kepada yang baik sekarang ke tahap yang lebih baik, bukan pasal dia harus terus bertugas kerana terasa selesa dan ada masa untuk menabung untuk masa depan dia.. Dia kena berkorban, harus pergi pada umur 56 juga jangan ditangguh hingga ke 60.. Sistem perlu di ubah dan nafas baru perlu diberikan segera...didalam sistem perkhidmatan yang aku anuti ini adalah tertutup tidak macam sistem gunasama yang terbuka dimana peluang mereka adalah luas..didalam keadaan sekarang pun dah ada yang memohon "option" bersara awal kerana lambat menunggu peluang naik pangkat, kalaulah peluang itu dilewatkan lagi selama 4 tahun sampai umur 60 maka, akan ramailah agaknya bangkai bernyawa dipejabat kerana semua nak "option" ...maka bukannya hak kita kalau semua tak diluluskan.... Entahlah jiwa aku ni, memberontak je...

" It is not necessary to change,

Survival is not mandatory "

W. Edwards Deming

Masa yang amat payah bagi merubah keadaan adalah apabila dah sampai dikemuncak timbunannya. 

Apabila perkara lazimnya selama ini berjalan dengan baik maka ia nya amat payah dipujuk kerana keselamatan dan kedudukannya tergugat dan berisiko tinggi. Tetapi mengharuskan tunggul dan kayu mati didalam dunia yang mencabar dan sentiasa berubah dalam sekelip mata memerlukan juga perubahan setimpal dan segera jua. Kita perlu melawan keadaan selesa dan puashati. Budaya harus dicanang dan dipraktikkan dimana kita semua menghayati dan menghendaki perubahan itu, bukan untuk duduk di tempat empuk sambil lena dibuai mimpi.

PTK - Pencen Tak Kemana ??

CUEPACS tidak peduli kesan lanjut umur persaraan

Oleh AZMAN ANUAR

(WARTAWAN UTUSAN)

MAJORITI kakitangan kerajaan sekarang boleh tersenyum lebar apabila lima daripada enam 'tuntutan' Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) akhirnya dipersetujui oleh Perdana Menteri.

Kelmarin dengan wajah ceria, Presiden CUEPACS, Omar Osman mengumumkan secara ringkas lima perkara yang diterima itu. Pemimpin CUEPACS nampaknya tidak peduli suasana sosioekonomi dan politik negara. Barangkali jika tuntutan tidak dipersetujui oleh Perdana Menteri, Khamis lalu, mungkin cadangan mereka memboikot majlis sambutan Hari Pekerja akan diteruskan. Walaupun kerajaan tidak bersetuju pemberian honorarium RM2,000 tetapi secara jelas kakitangan awam telah berjaya mendapat tambahan pendapatan daripada kadar pencen, lanjutan umur persaraan, elaun kritikal dan penambahan elaun perumahan. Pemansuhan peperiksaan Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan (PTK) dilihat usaha memotong 'tali ikatan' di badan kakitangan awam daripada peraturan ketat penilaian prestasi. Hakikat sekarang, kerajaan telah membuat persetujuan dengan CUEPACS yang dikatakan mewakili 1.2 juta kakitangan awam negara ini. Namun, perkara berkaitan lanjutan umur persaraan perlu dikaji secara teliti terutama mengambil kira pelbagai implikasinya. Melanjutkan usia persaraan kepada usia 60 tahun adalah tidak wajar untuk semua sektor kerajaan. Dalam tempoh sekarang, cadangan ini perlu dikaji dengan semasak-masak agar keputusan itu tidak memudaratkan kerajaan sendiri. Walaupun terdapat penjimatan bayaran pencen dan penangguhan imbuhan persaraan, tetapi kerajaan sebenarnya terpaksa membayar lebih berikutan lanjutan umur secara pukul rata itu. Sebab itu kerajaan tidak patut terikat untuk memberikan lanjutan umur persaraan secara pukul rata kepada semua kakitangan kerana ia tidak membantu meningkatkan kecekapan atau produktiviti sektor awam. Selain itu, kerajaan perlu memikirkan kakitangan yang sudah berumur 56 tahun mungkin tidak dapat menunjukkan mutu perkhidmatan yang baik kerana ditimpa pelbagai penyakit dan lemah keupayaan fizikal dan minda. Jika kerajaan bersetuju melanjutkan usia persaraan sama ada 57, 58, 59 atau 60 tahun sekalipun, ketika itu kerajaan tidak dapat memberhentikan kakitangan berkenaan sesuka hati kerana peraturan dan pelbagai alasan dicari untuk tidak membenarkannya.

Pada hemat penulis, apabila tiba masanya bagi seseorang itu bersara maka dia patutlah bersara. Melanjutkan had umur persaraan itu perlu dihalusi dan dikaji sebaik-baik mungkin dan bukan boleh dibuat main-main. Banyak aspek mengenai keperluan terutama dari segi perjawatan perlu diambil kira jika ia dilaksanakan. Kerajaan kena melihat keperluan semasa. Modal insan lepasan persekolahan dan institusi pengajian tinggi pun hendak bekerja di sektor awam. Apakah jawatan itu hendak terus dipegang orang lama saja?

Kecuali kalau individu itu memiliki kehebatan dari segi mental dan fizikal serta prestasi kerja atau keupayaan menunaikan tanggungjawab dengan sempurna. Sebab itu, adalah wajar diteruskan amalan melanjutkan tempoh perkhidmatan kepada pegawai yang sudah melepasi had umur persaraan berdasarkan kontrak sahaja. Pun begitu, 'anugerah' ini dihadkan kepada mereka yang benar-benar memiliki keistimewaan dan kebolehan menyampaikan tanggungjawab dengan baik sahaja. Perjuangan melanjutkan usia persaraan kakitangan awam bukan isu baru diperjuangkan oleh CUEPACS. Alasan utama pemimpin CUEPACS adalah bagi menyelesaikan masalah kegagalan pesara merancang simpanan untuk kegunaan hari tua. Tetapi, jika dibandingkan dengan pesara swasta, pesara sektor awam lebih baik kerana mendapat wang pencen bulanan secara tetap. Sepatutnya jika mereka yang berusia 56 tahun ingin terus bekerja kerana masalah kewangan, carilah pekerjaan lain bagi menampung keperluan keluarga. Bukan menumpang hasil cukai wang rakyat. Harus diingat bahawa banyak implikasi jika persetujuan melanjut umur persaraan 60 tahun diterima oleh kerajaan. Paling utama, ia menutup peluang orang ramai untuk mendapat ribuan kerja setiap tahun di sektor kerajaan, sekali gus meningkatkan kadar pengangguran. Kerajaan harus sedar bahawa isu pengangguran ini bukanlah satu isu yang remeh. Modal insan generasi muda tidak patut dipersia-siakan untuk dilatih menjadi barisan pemimpin pelapis kerajaan. Kita percaya, bukan menjadi hasrat kerajaan untuk membenarkan pegawai tidak produktif terus berkhidmat sehingga berumur 60 tahun. Tetapi jika cadangan memanjangkan umur bersara dilaksanakan, adalah tidak mustahil jika pegawai yang tidak produktif juga ingin terus berkhidmat di atas alasan perlu menyara hidup yang tinggi. Kerajaan belum terlewat untuk melihat rasional lanjut tempoh umur persaraan itu.

PTK - Prihatin Teras Kejayaan

Kerajaan tolak pemberian honorarium

17/04/2008 4:37pm 

PUTRAJAYA 17 April - Kerajaan menolak pemberian honorarium RM2,000 kepada kakitangan kerajaan tetapi menerima lima lagi tuntutan Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) yang telah dikemukakan sejak tiga tahun lalu. Presiden CUEPACS, Omar Osman berkata, keputusan tersebut dipersetujui pada mesyuarat bersama Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi di sini hari ini. "Butiran lanjut mengenai lima tuntutan yang akan dipenuhi itu akan diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri sedikit masa lagi,'' katanya pada sidang akhbar di sini. Lima tuntutan yang diterima itu adalah kadar pencen mengikut perkhidmatan, lanjutan umur persaraan daripada 56 tahun kepada 60 tahun, pemansuhan peperiksaan Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan (PTK), pemberian semula elaun kritikal dan penambahan elaun perumahan kepada RM230 berbanding RM180 hari ini.- Utusan

Government should stop pampering public employees

COMMENT By V.K. CHIN; The STAR Online

CUEPACS, the umbrella body of government unions, should show greater maturity in claiming for financial benefits. Resorting to boycotting the official function to mark May Day is certainly not the proper way to show its displeasure.
The union has been trying to get the Government to agree to a RM2,000 special payment to help ease the financial burden of its 1.2 million members. In addition, it has called for the retirement age to be extended, to have a fairer way of promoting workers, and to increase the cost of living allowance. On its own, the RM2,000 honorarium may seem reasonable, especially since civil servants had been given a year-end bonus before. However, in view of the 30% or more in wage increases recently, this new request may seem a bit too much not only for the Government but also the public. The recent pay rise had resulted in civil servants being better paid than those in the private sector. Every one is affected by the higher cost of living, not only government employees. The union seems to think that the Government has unlimited funds to pander to its every financial wish. It can calculate how much the new special payment will cost.
Perhaps it may feel that civil servants deserve the payment, but the public will definitely think otherwise. What irks people is that despite the pay increase, there has not been much improvement in the delivery of service. Why should anyone be paid more when there is little improvement in performance or productivity? And before the dust has settled, there is the demand for a special bonus. The union cannot expect to keep on asking for perks without giving back something in return. The public is getting tired of this attitude and will not want the Government to keep pampering its civil servants. In actual fact, civil servants, particularly those in local councils, could have been one of the contributing factors to the Barisan Nasional’s recent electoral setback.
Officials of city halls, municipal councils and local councils have consistently ignored the wishes and aspirations of the people. In fact, residents have been extremely unhappy at the lack of basic services. Despite a series of complaints, officials have often simply turned a deaf ear to the ratepayers and continued to do as they please in carrying out their duties. It is this attitude that has annoyed and frustrated the public to such an extent that they vented their anger at Barisan candidates in the 2008 general election. The newly formed Pakatan governments in Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor will face the same problem encountered by the Barisan in dealing with such officials. Civil servants are supposed to serve the party in power but they often only pay lip service to this undertaking. They only look after their own interests since governments come and go. They are the only ones who will remain permanent and they know it is not easy to sack them. With 1.2 million of them, how many can the ruling party get rid of without serious administrative and political repercussions?

PTK - Pasti Terus Kehadapan

Mungkin kah esok, khamis 17 Mac, 2008 akan di umumkan hasil keputusan dari pihak kerajaan mengenai samada perlunya diteruskan skim penilaian tahap kecekapan PTK yang mana ianya menjadi salah satu daripada tuntutan Cuepacs supaya ianya dihapuskan. Mungkin hampir keseluruhan peringkat pegawai kerajaan yang terlibat,  yang tidak dapat manafaat daripadanya bersetuju supaya ianya dihapuskan. Tidak pandai saya menyatakan sebab sebabnya dan kalau saya tulis mengenainya dari sudut pandangan saya maka berat hukumannya nanti, rumusan fikiran dan hati saya ini amat bersetuju sekali agar ianya dijumudkan terus...tunggu je lah pengumuman nya dengan harapan yang optimis, jika keputusannya menghendaki ianya diteruskan, maka...

" Utilize your talents and abilities"

Arthur Dobrin

Walau apa pun sahih dan hebat pemikiran anda (ada Masters atau Ph.D), dan bagaimana hebat pun vissi kita, atau macamana berjayanya kepimpinan anda, disana semestinya ada sesuatu atau sesaorang yang menghayun jawatan anda. Di sana ada ranjau menanti yang akan menghalang dan melakukan dengan apa saja untuk menjatuhkan anda daripada kedudukan sediada.

Berpaut pada kedudukan sediada dan untuk mencapai dahan lebih tinggi dan kukuh memerlukan sekuat daya persaingan dan memasarkan keupayaan. Kita memerlukan ini semua. Kita mungkin tergolong bersama dengan pemimpin pemimpin yang hebat didunia, jika kita tidak diketahui kehebatan dan kompetensi untuk diserlahkan maka hebat semacam manapun, kedudukan kita adalah didalam bahaya.

Delivery system Aim for excellence in service

IN line with the prime minister's call to reduce red tape and improve administrative efficiency in government departments, all departmental and agency heads should monitor the implementation of their clients' charters to ensure they deliver the promises made in them. The charter sets out the goals and targets of a department and how long it will take to deliver a service. We must not allow the charters to be just dead letters, more so when the chief secretary to the government has emphasised improving service delivery. Introducing the charters is one thing, ensuring that they work is another. It is imperative for all departments and agencies, including local authorities which have adopted the charters, to monitor their implementation. I wish to suggest that charters be displayed at the service counters of public authorities, informing the public of the promises made and whom they can complain to and seek redress from in case of non-delivery. In line with administrative accountability and transparency, departments, agencies and local authorities should act on public complaints published in newspapers. Public complaints published in the print media provide feedback to the authorities. Departments, agencies and local authorities must always be sensitive to complaints or suggestions about their departments and take action. The prime minister has emphasised fighting graft and improving service delivery. It is time for the government to upgrade its Public Complaints Bureau. Citizens, too, have a role to play in the development of a quality service. By providing feedback and giving suggestions, they can improve the service delivery systems. As society progresses, people are more conscious of their rights and expect better performance from civil servants. My advice to civil servants is to achieve excellence in serving the nation.

By : TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE, Kuala Lumpur; nst online.

A bribe is still a bribe

KOTA BARU: The amount may be small but a bribe is still a bribe.
That was what Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) Deputy Director-General Datuk Zakaria Jaffar emphasised when he revealed that the lowest bribe amount the agency investigated in Kelantan was RM9, in 2004.
“The measure of culpability is not in the amount ... the amount may be small, but it’s still an offence under the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 ... for giving a bribe,” he told reporters here. Earlier, he attended the handing over of duties by state ACA director Md Yusof Md Zain, who will assume the post of Johor ACA director, to Mohd Jaafar Hussin.
Zakaria said the highest bribe amount the agency investigated in Kelantan in the last five years was RM1,500. He also said that during that period the Kelantan ACA received 1,931 tip-offs and investigation papers were opened on 218 cases.
“A total of 60 people were arrested and charged with corruption in those five years.” – Bernama

Neither giver nor taker be

WHEN the present administration first took office pledging to combat corruption, and when protesters took to the streets three years later to denounce the perceived lack of progress in that regard, it's doubtful that either context encompassed the door gifts, goodie bags and letter-openers routinely presented to guests of honour gracing events with their presence to do the ribbon-cutting, gong-banging and plaque-signing honours. This makes it almost charming that the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) should spend so much thought on drafting guidelines on gifts to public servants.

The problem is that such efforts presumably to educate civil servants on proper behaviour imply that common sense is lacking among the target audience. Do public servants in positions of authority seriously need to be told not to give jobs or projects to their friends and relatives, or to not use their offices for personal gratification? Is it not obvious that financial bequests to a government department should be made known to the relevant ministry? Most bemusing of all is the injunction that luxury gifts such as watches or branded accessories need to be reported to the prime minister, when surely the core principle here is that there's no reason for such transactions in the first place.

But this is a tradition -- and an elegant one at that. It has always been part of our cultures and values that guests are honoured, treated well and not left empty-handed. Even if economic development leading to the expansion of the petty bourgeoisie has seen this evolve from a measure of rice to a jewelled wristwatch, isn't the generous and hospitable intent the same? Not quite. Implicit in the ACA's guidelines is the knowledge that such salutations, from lavish presents to felicitous notices in the newspaper, are calculated to establish a special relationship with their recipients. A kindness now might anticipate reciprocity later; a favour between friends, perhaps?

It would be glaringly lopsided, therefore, if the ACA's guidelines to public servants were not balanced with an equal-but-opposite exhortation to the private sector. Enough with the gewgaws and fripperies, the pewter plates, special gifts and congratulatory ads, in attempting to groom relations with the government. They are a waste of money and resources, and an ethically grey area best avoided. Offer a donation to charity, perhaps, instead of further burdening the chief executive with deciding what to do with officers who have no compunction against flashing bling they could never afford personally.

The Editorial : NST Online.

Leave politics to politicians, civil servants told

PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants should “let politics be handled by politicians” and concentrate on carrying out their administrative duties and responsibilities.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he did not want to hear complaints, particularly about staff at the Finance Ministry, that a project could not go on as planned because the matter was “stuck at the Treasury.” “The Treasury should not act as a hindrance to the implementation of projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. In the last four years, we have planned many projects but there was not enough implementation. The mid-term review is currently going on. “So, within these last few years under the 9MP, we have to further enhance our implementation. The Treasury is the main agency involved because many other ministries refer to it for vital decisions. “I don’t want these projects to get stuck at the Treasury and for it to become the cause of delay,” he said in his speech at the ministry’s monthly assembly here Monday. Abdullah, who is also the First Finance Minister, urged the ministry staff to continue re-training themselves and told them that they should not think of human capital development as only relevant to those entering universities.

By SIM LEOI LEOI The Star Online