Perak DAP is calling for the state government to be empowered to deal with errant civil servants who hinder the smooth administration and development agenda of the country, as the present system offers governments no avenue to deal with uncooperative civil servants.

nga kor ming taiping speech 170710 “This empowerment to sack or dismiss the little Napoleons or recalcitrants among the 1.22 million-strong civil service is to avoid the ‘black sheep’ from continuing to ruin the country’s development agenda,” said party state secretary and Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming ( left ).

He cites the on-going verbal battle between the Penang chief minister and state development officer Nik Ali Mat Yunos as an example of how the state’s hands are tied.

“The behaviour of Penang state development officer Nik Ali to openly accuse Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as ‘ dayus ’ (despicable) and ‘ biadab ’ (rude) is unprecedented, and has brought disrepute to the impartial civil service,” said an angry Nga.

“He must be sacked for the misconduct committed by him,” he lashed out.

NONE Lim and Nik Ali have constantly been at loggerheads over thorny state issues, such as the illegal sand mining issue and the tearing down of the Penang Botanical Gardens’ two controversial arches ( right ).   

In the latter, for example, the state government has been asked to foot the RM150,000 required to tear down the arches that were originally built by the federal government, but an uncooperative Nik Ali has refused to answer the CM’s query.

The CM is querying Nik Ali as to who - which department under the state or federal government - should be responsible for the staggering expense.

The arches were built by the Tourism Ministry, but intense public outcry had forced the tourism minister to agree to their removal.

Civil service sabotage

                    

Pakatan-ruled states allege that they constantly face uncooperative federal-appointed state officers, resulting in miscommunication and hindrance to smooth running of the state.

The central problem - which was ironically highlighted by Penang opposition leader Azhar’s attack on Lim yesterday - is that such officers come under the jurisdiction of the chief secretary to the federal government, and Pakatan state governments have no say in their appointment or dismissal.

                        

NONE This thorny impasse had recently prompted PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim ( left ) to suggest Pakatan state governments appoint their own state legal advisors to replace the federal-appointed officers.

This, according to Anwar, was the only solution to ensure the smooth functioning of the state administration.