LETTER | The ruling party of our beloved Malaysia has changed with new faces in the administration but unfortunately, the country hasn't changed with favouritism policies in civil departments.

The real change has to come down to respecting hard-working staff regardless of their race or religion.

Malaysia has suffered for a long time with race and religion-based policies. To see a democratic Malaysia, we need to see a total overhaul in the system from head to toe. The country cannot bear a system like the old one.

If we visit government departments, it's very obvious to see the staff predominantly only of one race. More non-Malays should be hired because if opportunities are not given to the other races, our society will become uneven and handicapped. It will definitely not be healthy for Malaysia's progress.

For PTD 41 jobs that are available, there shouldn't be too many obstacles and filters like exams, assessments and extra interviews plus a six-month course.

We need a talented younger generation with lots of motivation and new ideas for the betterment of our country. MPs Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman and P Prabakaran are shining examples.

It's also disheartening to see that many jobs in the government sector are open only for government college/university graduates. This sidelines private university/college students who wish to secure a job in the government sector.

To push forward our country to be on par with First World countries, we need to hire people according to qualifications but not according to government agendas for a certain group of people.

Meanwhile, staffs and officers who are working hard and for a long period of time need to be rewarded accordingly. The previous government created a big schism between such qualified workers and workers promoted solely based on their race.

Staff who put in their heart and time for their work must be considered for promotion and better pay. It would be demoralising for staff if they are continuously marginalised due to their race or religion.

At the end of the day, all staff are working for the progress of Malaysia. There are times when we need to highlight to the government that there is staff contributing at their best but unfortunately, there is no appreciation according to merit.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.