In the past seven years, disciplinary action has been taken against 28 civil servants for running down the government.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said confirmed this in a written reply to Putatan lawmaker Marcus Mojigoh who had asked on action that has and can be taken against individuals or organisations who purposely give bad publicity to the country’s management and leadership.

The minister confirmed that enforcement had been made on the above mentioned misconduct through disciplinary action.

“From 2010 to Feb 15, 2017, 65 cases had been reported involving civil servants at both the state and federal levels as well as those in statutory bodies.”

From the 65 cases, disciplinary actions were taken against 28 or 43 percent of them.

Azalina explained that action taken against them includes warnings as well as being fired from their jobs.

Disciplinary proceedings for the others, on the other hand, have commenced or were being investigated.

Azalina, however, did not respond to Marcus’ additional question on whether these civil servants could be considered as traitors to the country.

Just this week, Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid confirmed that five teachers were slapped with show-cause letters for criticising the government in an excessive manner.

The five had also purportedly shared the stage with the opposition.

Mahdzir said the government had no qualms with teachers offering constructive criticism, but they must use the proper channels to do so.

He had earlier advised teachers actively promoting the opposition or discrediting the government to resign from the civil service.

Chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa, on the other hand, urged civil servants not to “bite the hand that feeds them”, and cautioned them against being influenced by lies regarding the government.

This, he said yesterday, was because the government under Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had provided them with various new amenities despite an uncertain global economic climate.