When the current KSN took office few years ago, I sent him a personal and private note suggesting 10 steps to improve the PTD service and move her from a role of subservience to the political masters and to become co-equals, as in the early days of this premier public service of Malaysia.

I had seen this emerging value of subservience and had even told Minister Rafidah Aziz ( below ) that I had lost faith in the public services while on a train ride from Tokyo to Sendai in Japan in 1995.

Her advice was: \”If you have lost faith in the PTD service, you should leave rather than stay and pay only lip service.\”

Within a year after this conversation, I was seconded to Mimos Bhd by the Public Services Department on Oct 16, 1996. I served in the National IT Council secretariat until I finally took optional retirement from the PTD and public services in Malaysia.

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In the early 1980s the PTD service vide her agents in Mampu had promoted the concept of In Search of Excellence, the book by Peters and Waterman.

Actually, when this concept was so aggressively promoted by my PTD classmate and top student course mate at UM from the Faculty of Economics, and our Department of Public Administration, I remarked to my friends at INTAN that the PTD service could only live out their sequel: \”Destined to Mediocrity.\”

Today my good friend and MITI colleague, the KSN, is the victim of mediocrity in the public services, but this is not limited to the PTD.

While the rot may have started with the PTD services\’ vide the blind compliance culture of always saying yes to their political masters, the rot has become systemic and we have public services that no more reports to the King or public interest, as per the constitution, but instead reports blindly to their political masters in Umno, and some in the BN.

Today, the Saya Yang Menurut Perintah means blind obedience to the political system, and not being the servants to either public interest or to the King.

The original British culture of Westminster democracy had as a requisite, obedience to the King and Country, or to the Flag of the Federation, never only to their political masters.

Frankly, to me, the rot started after the Umno A versus B animosity and culture of destruction of differing views because of ego trips.

From this \”Siapa Raja syndrome,\” Umno\’s internal fight was carried into the public services beginning with the PSD which was already politicised after the May 13 incident.

JPA\’s lost moral courage

JPA had by default taken over the role and responsibilities of the neutral public Services Commission or the PSC. Under the Operasi Isi Penuh Programme , the \”melayuisation\” of the public services was executed with a vengeance.

I know because I was one of the victims, who, although interviewed by the SPA and found to be fit on July 6, 1972 was only posted for work on Sept 4, 1972, whereas my Malay classmate and buddy who was interviewed with me on the same date was backdated to an April 1972 date; the date of his initial posting for attachment because he was a government scholar.

Thereafter and surely over time the JPA lost their moral courage to say \’No\’ to ministers and the Umno system; as to the posting and promotion of public servants.

As a consequence, ministers could demand that senior officers be transferred out within 24 hours. Ask Datuk Kamarulzaman Abdul Halim of the Ministry of Finance; he was one of their earliest victims.

\"NONE\"Therefore today, it seems \”very halal\” for the MACC officer to say that she can blindly follow the directives of her bosses even if she knows that they are wrong.\”

And she said this in court mind you. Norliza Musa said during the cross-examination by defence counsel Abdul Roni Abdul Rahman at the trial of the two former PKR Exco members.

I once also appeared before the board of directors at Mimos Bhd to propose that the Cabinet had been wrongly guided about the transferring of the National IT Council Secretariat and requested special permission to make my argument to the Minister of Finance.

While the board agreed with my argument, my boss at Mimos disagreed and showed his displeasure in a very unpleasant way. I was given a warning letter and asked to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against me.

Therefore, my advice to Prime Minister Najib ( above ) and the Chief Secretary to the Government, if you are serious about real change in the public services, please make one simple and fundamental change.

Fundamental change needed

Most change agendas need some fundamental and radical changes to communicate real intent for political change. I had suggested this same idea to PM Pak Lah and he even agreed publicly with me on Jan 13, 2004 at the Private Sector Dialogue at the IOI Putrajaya Hotel. But poor Pak Lah ( below ) forgot to keep his promise.

So, dear PM Najib and KSN Sidek, you both come from the state where our second PM and my first big boss came from in the PM\’s Department. I cried when he passed on and even attended the funeral at the National Mosque.

Surely this Father of Development in Malaysia did not die working hard for others so that the public services can achieve mediocrity. He was an excellent DO, and later state secretary of Pahang, I hear.

\"abdullahLet us at least do what is right and good for his sake!

Therefore, friends and colleagues let us make this fundamental and radical but simple change now before it is too late.

Simply ask all Public servants to swear allegiance to the Flag of the Federation and to uphold the integrity and honesty of public interest of the nation and to always remain loyal to the King with a sign-off called, Saya Yang Bertanggungjawab.

In English, this means I\’m fully responsible for all advice I give and am willing to be held, both accountable and responsible for them. This also means that PTD officers and all public servants are serving the National and public interest and not only those of Umno or BN.

Therefore all of us; whether KSUs or simple MACC officers, or even judges or military officers or the police can always speak for truth and never have to fear or seek favour in case they are not \”politically correct.\”

Political correctness takes on a new meaning with a triple dimension of you, me and God. Moral correctness then defines our values of right and wrong and we can become fully responsible, open and transparent with any fear of favour.

May God bless Malaysia!