Civil servants’ refusal to answer phone calls reinforces public view of inefficient behemoth
IT IS not a unique phenomenon that civil servants take a very disinterested attitude towards work. ‘Overburdened and underpaid’ is the usual excuse trotted out for this unprofessional and – frankly – unethical behaviour.
A post on X (formerly Twitter) by user @Ain_Razalii highlights this phenomenon perfectly as she had great difficulty in getting a civil servant to answer her call. When one finally deemed to answer the phone, it was met with a flimsy excuse.
Antara pejabat kerajaan yang paling berfungsi. Pejabat Daerah & Tanah Kuala Selangor. Punya lama aku tunggu di talian tapi tak ada yang angkat. Last2 ada orang jawab cakap bahagian yang uruskan Smartbox ni tak ada, sebab ada urusan melawat staff meninggal. Lahhh.. meninggal tu… Show more
The poster further lamented that she was given short shrift when her call was finally attended to, underlining the poor work ethic among staff of said government department.
The post has since generated two million views at time of writing with many comments from frustrated Malaysians who have had to face similar scenarios.
The poster’s sense of frustration was shared by many who had similar experiences.
The post was also shared by @amldriss who observed an office full of civil servants nonchalantly ignoring a ringing phone.
Some netizens sarcastically claimed that answering phone calls and e-mails was not part of Malaysian culture. Playing truant was more in line with local traditions.
Another netizen echoed this sentiment saying how wonderful it is to be on the government pay roll, getting paid while official duties are ignored.
One netizen said it would have been acceptable if the work hours are replaced after-office, saying it was wrong that time meant to serve the public was being used for private or personal issues.
A few netizens with first-hand experience of working in the civil service highlighted the work culture.
Netizens also highlighted the many benefits, pay raises and bonuses that civil servants enjoy despite not meeting their KPIs.
With more than a few suggesting that their fringe benefits be scrapped.
This is not a new issue. In fact, it is an age-old problem faced the world over but as Malaysians struggle to earn a living in the private sector and cope with the rising cost of living, such open displays of ineptitude are beginning to touch a raw nerve.
This coupled with constant calls to reward a non-performing civil service is what seems to trigger much ire.
A netizen summed up the conundrum of these Little Napoleons very well saying that a change of government cannot bring about reforms when the civil service is riddled with the old guard. Any action or suggestion of change is then hyped into a racial issue.
The sense of futility and hopelessness was also evident.
Just what can be done to overhaul a civil service that is not only slow and sluggish but one that does not appear to understand that it exists to serve the rakyat who is the customer?
It appears nothing as each government is eager not to upset a substantial vote bank. Hence, Malaysians have to not only deal with rampant corruption and spectacular inefficiency; they also have to contend with a civil service that is becoming increasingly arrogant.
This is exemplified by its demands to the paying public to adhere to dress codes when visiting government offices (and hospitals!) and the oft-heard remark by civil servants to ratepayers to “tunggu sebentar” (literally wait for a while) – that is if the phone or enquiry is ever attended to. – March 8, 2024
It is well known that Malaysian Government servamts Never deal with phone calls.
ReplyDeleteYou want to sort out any matters , you turn up in person at the Department. That means taking leave for the day or more if you live in a small town or rural area, or losing the day's income for self-employed persons.