PSC rapped for 'bias' against rural folk
Joseph TawiePublished: Nov 12, 2014 8:54 AM | Updated: Nov 12, 2014 9:21 AM
SARAWAK ASSEMBL Y The Public Services Commission (PSC) has been severely criticised for its policy of advertising vacancies online, as this is seen as not only an attempt to deprive the rural people of job opportunities, but also a form of discrimination against the rural population in Sarawak.
“The powers that made this decision are obviously unfamiliar with the situation in rural Sarawak, where Internet and WiFi are still alien concepts,” Ba’Kelalan assemblyperson Baru Bian said during the debate on the state's 2015 Budget today.
SARAWAK ASSEMBLY The Public Services Commission (PSC) has been severely criticised for its policy of advertising vacancies online, as this is seen as not only an attempt to deprive the rural people of job opportunities, but also a form of discrimination against the rural population in Sarawak.
“The powers that made this decision are obviously unfamiliar with the situation in rural Sarawak, where Internet and WiFi are still alien concepts,” Ba’Kelalan assemblyperson Baru Bian said during the debate on the state's 2015 Budget today.
“Besides the fact that many rural communities are still without grid electricity, Sarawak has only 55 percent broadband penetration.
“Therefore by going online for PSC vacancy notifications, more than half the population of Sarawak will be denied the opportunity of even knowing about the vacancies, let alone applying for jobs,” Baru (right) said.
“This is discrimination against the rural population, who are already at a socio-economic disadvantage.”
He then quoted a report by Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) that their field trips to the interior of Sarawak revealed that many youths also could not access the PSC website from cybercafés.
They feel that the decision to go online was actually a way to eliminate a section of the community from the jobs, he said.
Baru also said that it was revealed in the Sin Chew Daily in 2010 that only 28,868 or 6.48 percent of the 445,164 bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak who applied for government jobs were qualified for the jobs, but of that number, only about 50 percent were offered jobs.
'Numbers recruited already low'
“This number is already low, and with recruitment now online, we expect that the number of new recruits will be even lower. The PSC must review this online system of recruitment,” he said, pointing out that the reasoning that this saved the PSC RM2.5 million could not make up for the loss of opportunity for the disadvantaged people of Sarawak.
He said that PSC must review its this online system if it really wants to help the rural students in securing jobs with the government.
On the civil service, Baru, who is Sarawak PKR chief, said: “I have lately been receiving complaints from civil servants that in many instances, their superior officers, who should be retired, are re-employed on renewable contracts, thereby denying the lower-ranking staff the opportunity for promotions.
“While I have nothing against the extension of services of retired civil servants, where there is a real need for their services and expertise - and I acknowledge that many of them still have much to contribute to society - such a practice must be balanced with the need to provide career advancement for deserving civil servants.”
“The powers that made this decision are obviously unfamiliar with the situation in rural Sarawak, where Internet and WiFi are still alien concepts,” Ba’Kelalan assemblyperson Baru Bian said during the debate on the state's 2015 Budget today.
“Besides the fact that many rural communities are still without grid electricity, Sarawak has only 55 percent broadband penetration.
“Therefore by going online for PSC vacancy notifications, more than half the population of Sarawak will be denied the opportunity of even knowing about the vacancies, let alone applying for jobs,” Baru (right) said.“This is discrimination against the rural population, who are already at a socio-economic disadvantage.”
He then quoted a report by Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) that their field trips to the interior of Sarawak revealed that many youths also could not access the PSC website from cybercafés.
They feel that the decision to go online was actually a way to eliminate a section of the community from the jobs, he said.
Baru also said that it was revealed in the Sin Chew Daily in 2010 that only 28,868 or 6.48 percent of the 445,164 bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak who applied for government jobs were qualified for the jobs, but of that number, only about 50 percent were offered jobs.
'Numbers recruited already low'
“This number is already low, and with recruitment now online, we expect that the number of new recruits will be even lower. The PSC must review this online system of recruitment,” he said, pointing out that the reasoning that this saved the PSC RM2.5 million could not make up for the loss of opportunity for the disadvantaged people of Sarawak.
He said that PSC must review its this online system if it really wants to help the rural students in securing jobs with the government.
On the civil service, Baru, who is Sarawak PKR chief, said: “I have lately been receiving complaints from civil servants that in many instances, their superior officers, who should be retired, are re-employed on renewable contracts, thereby denying the lower-ranking staff the opportunity for promotions.
“While I have nothing against the extension of services of retired civil servants, where there is a real need for their services and expertise - and I acknowledge that many of them still have much to contribute to society - such a practice must be balanced with the need to provide career advancement for deserving civil servants.”
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