GOVEMMENT HIRING FREEZE NOTHING NEW SAYS EX- CHIEF SECRETARY

Malay Mail
8/5/2015

On
Tuesday, Mahmood (left) said that the government was no longer
recruiting for any positions effective April, but declined to explain
the rationale for the decision. — File picKUALA LUMPUR,
May 8 — Putrajaya has frozen hiring of civil servants in the past,
former Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan said
today.

When asked if Putrajaya's recent hiring freeze for 15 government
agencies was due to overstaffing in civil service, Mohd Sidek said
questions should be directed to his successor Tan Sri Ali Hamsa.

"You have to ask the current KSN. I'm sure they have the reason for it,
which I'm not privy to," he told reporters here when door-stopped after
the launching of the "30% Club".

He confirmed that the federal government had in the past frozen hiring,
saying: "There were, when there is a need, we'll have to do it."

But when probed about the reasons for past hiring freezes during his term, Mohd Sidek declined to answer and walked off.

On Tuesday, Public Service Commission (PSC) chairman Tan Sri Mahmood Adam told Sin Chew Daily
that the government was no longer recruiting for any positions
effective April, but declined to explain the rationale for the decision.

Mahmood told the Chinese-language newspaper that 15 agencies, including
the police, army and the Education ministry, have already received
notice of the freeze.

He said agencies that required emergency replacements could still apply
to do so via the PSD and said the moratorium does not affect
recruitment for vacancies that were advertised prior to the April 22
directive.

His remarks confirm a report by whistleblower website Sarawak Report across the weekend that said Putrajaya was no longer hiring, based on a leaked copy of the memorandum from the PSC.

Malaysia has one of the highest public workers to population ratios in
the world and its civil service force currently costs some RM60 billion
in wages annually, accounting for a third of total government spending.

Putrajaya was forced to reduce its operating budget for 2015 owing to a sharp drop in oil prices since last year.

Yesterday, the Congress of Unions of Employees in Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) told Malay Mail Online
that Putrajaya must reverse its decision to freeze hiring for the
public sector as this would prevent Malaysian youths from getting jobs.

The umbrella body representing over 800,000 workers in the public
sector nationwide said it would not make sense to say Putrajaya cannot
afford to hire more people, noting that many positions go vacant each
year from the retirement and deaths of civil servants.