Caretaker chief secretary to the government Dr Ali Hamsa said it was up to civil servants to interpret the word, 'kera' (monkey), with which they were labeled with by an opposition candidate.

NONE "Civil servants have feelings. I want civil servants to make their own interpretation," he said when asked to comment on PKR Johor Bahru parliamentary constituency candidate Gen (Rtd) Md Hashim Hussein’s ( left ) labeling of civil servants as 'kera'.

Ali was met by reporters after a gathering with Rumah Iskandar Malaysia residents in Gelang Patah today.

The video in which Md Hashim allegedly made the statement was believed to have been recorded during his election campaign in Johor Bahru and uploaded on YouTube four days ago by account owner, mykmujohor, under the title, 'Semua Penjawatan Awam Memang KERA' (All public posts are monkeys).

More than 10,500 YouTube users have watched the recording, with many condemning it.

In the 39-second video, Md Hashim allegedly uttered "kakitangan kerajaan" (government employees) are short for "kera dalam jagaan" (monkeys in custody) and they, like himself, would run amok and rebel when released.

NONE On Rumah Iskandar Malaysia, Ali ( left ) said 880 units had been occupied by middle-income tenants, including civil servants.

He said the residents were happy with the houses built by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) and were hoping to purchase them.

"We will make a proposal as soon as possible and discuss it with IRDA," he said.

The four-storey apartment comprising units measuring between 83sq metres and 111sq metres each, were rented out to employers working in the Iskandar Malaysia area for between RM360 and RM560 monthly.

- Bernama