Trimming down cabinet won’t affect civil servants - Aziz Bari

Reducing the size of the cabinet would not affect civil servants, DAP’s Tebing Tinggi assemblyperson Abdul Aziz Bari declared to the Congress of Unions of Employees in Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) today.

He said this in response to the statement issued by Cuepacs president Adnan Mat yesterday, in which he urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to consult with the chief secretary to the government before trimming down the cabinet of ministers.

“It is rather strange and indeed inappropriate for Cuepacs to raise the issue.

“Was he (Adnan) worried that the trimming down of the cabinet would affect the civil service? That doesn’t arise at all,” Aziz (above) told Malaysiakini.  

Adnan stated that the government should consult with the appropriate parties to make sure that good policies that benefit the people are not abandoned just to make the cabinet smaller.

He claimed that discussions with the chief secretary were important to avoid making choices that might negatively affect the government's administrative machinery.

However, Aziz reiterated that the only person the prime minister should consult is the attorney-general and not the civil servants as it is a matter of government policy.

“The prime minister never talked about the civil service, he was just concerned about the bloated cabinet.

“It may even be better, as a smaller government would consume less money and resources,” Aziz concluded.

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