PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said civil servants must be exposed to new technologies to enhance their efficiency, thus reducing reliance on foreign and external consultants.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said the current demands require civil servants to change and the potential possessed by each of them must be harnessed for the development of the country.
Recalling the era of the 80s to 90s, he said the level of efficiency and decisions including on fiscal, economic, financial and projects were implemented almost entirely by civil servants with minimal participation of consultants.
“I see that the projects were carried efficiently, which means that if given the emphasis and training, civil servants are able to carry out such tasks but when I took over I saw too much dependence on foreign consultants and external consultants.
“So I recommended to the Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) that we revamp and if there is a shortage, we train young civil servants to provide them with expertise, skills and capabilities to meet their needs,“ he said in his speech at the dinner for former KSN and appreciation dinner for the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) team, here today.
Anwar said the performance of civil servants should be restored by being given assignments that are believed to have an impact as well as provide new training and education.
“It does not have to be formal, PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or Master’s but any training or exposure to overview and specialisation, especially in new technologies,“ he said.
Meanwhile, he said the success of the implementation of SSPA was the result of teamwork and a joint commitment to bring change to the country.
“It is an ambition to bring change and accept that this country cannot be elevated to its peak, dignity and degree if we maintain the old methods and implementations.
“If we feel confident to bring and lift the capacity of this country. We have to accept the fact that the old methods are unlikely to be sustainable,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar also comended former KSN Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali as well as the ranks of civil servants who have carried out their duties professionally since he stepped into the Prime Minister’s office in Nov 2022.
“(Mohd Zuki and civil servants) served the government of the day with loyalty and commitment and gave full cooperation. So, I was comfortable from the first hour as Prime Minister,“ he said.
The SSPA replaces the Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM) which came into effect on Dec 1, 2024 prioritising the performance of the public service and prioritising the welfare of civil servants.
It is designed as a remuneration system based on performance aspects in line with the intention to ensure increased productivity in the public service and safeguard the well-being of officers, the principle of performance-based reward and code of conduct.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and KSN Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Mohd Zuki and the Director-General of Public Service Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.
