Don't Be Alarmed Over Monitoring By Politicians - PM
I was terribly alarmed when I read that headline. What does the PM mean when he says don't be alarmed? Especially when he elaborated that the monitors included Umno members!
Government officers are reminded that they need not be alarmed or disturbed if there were elected representatives or Umno party members giving reports to them directly on the implementation of government projects. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the monitoring could also be carried out by party members through their leaders, that is, the relevant State Executive Councillors or Menteris Besar or Chief Ministers.
If that ever becomes reality it will spell the end of the civil service as we know it. The Umno divisional leaders will run riot in government departments and such will be the interference that I'm sure at some point the public servants are going to fight back. That scenario will do no one any good.
"Their role should be perceived as assisting (in the project implementation). I asked the elected representatives and party members to carry out their role and observe what is happening in their respective areas. "If something is not right, try and contact the district office and ask what is happening to the project."
How in heaven's name can these dolts who have no experience monitor projects? And does it not imply that by giving them a monitoring or supervisory role that they have access to confidential files?
Abdullah had said that Umno had created a monitoring mechanism which would look at the projects not only from the viewpoints of politicians but also that of professionals and executives who wanted to carry out this task voluntarily.
Of course they'll volunteer because there is something in it for them. Don't expect pure selflessness from anyone in Malaysia today especially where government projects are concerned. These are considered as shortcuts to become multi-millionaires.
In short I feel that it is a harebrained idea that would be better stillborn, like many of our projects, rather than be allowed to see the light of day.
Government officers are reminded that they need not be alarmed or disturbed if there were elected representatives or Umno party members giving reports to them directly on the implementation of government projects. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the monitoring could also be carried out by party members through their leaders, that is, the relevant State Executive Councillors or Menteris Besar or Chief Ministers.
If that ever becomes reality it will spell the end of the civil service as we know it. The Umno divisional leaders will run riot in government departments and such will be the interference that I'm sure at some point the public servants are going to fight back. That scenario will do no one any good.
"Their role should be perceived as assisting (in the project implementation). I asked the elected representatives and party members to carry out their role and observe what is happening in their respective areas. "If something is not right, try and contact the district office and ask what is happening to the project."
How in heaven's name can these dolts who have no experience monitor projects? And does it not imply that by giving them a monitoring or supervisory role that they have access to confidential files?
Abdullah had said that Umno had created a monitoring mechanism which would look at the projects not only from the viewpoints of politicians but also that of professionals and executives who wanted to carry out this task voluntarily.
Of course they'll volunteer because there is something in it for them. Don't expect pure selflessness from anyone in Malaysia today especially where government projects are concerned. These are considered as shortcuts to become multi-millionaires.
In short I feel that it is a harebrained idea that would be better stillborn, like many of our projects, rather than be allowed to see the light of day.
posted by The Malaysian. at 6/25/2006 11:45:00 PM
3 Comments:
You are right that this is not a simple matter. If we have politicians who truly want to serve, its OK but if the politicians are all self-interested buffoons, this is a formula for chaos. Its pure opportunity for corruption...
One can either look at this in a positive or negative way. If we accept that corruption is endemic , then one MUST NEVER FORGET that complicit in all this is our behemoth civil service ...right down to PBT.
I would rather look at it as one way to ensure that this culture of "sweeping things under the carpet" and corruption, as well as the emergence of little napoleans be confronted NOW!
To assume that our divisional level politicians have control of the civil service aka "public delivery system" is naive and shows that we are not truly aware of how the system works.
In conlusion, this could actually be Pak Lah's initial idea but such a strategy for implementation was further developed by KJ and the young turks - to be implemented together with BN component parties.
Waris Tok Naga, I do get your point and I have to agree that it is valid. However when you bring KJ into the equation things can get dicey.
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