Category A civil servants cannot be active in politics
Leong Kar YenPublished: Jan 19, 2001 12:05 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Umno's move to allow its members who are civil servants to contest in its divisional elections are against government regulations, says an opposition leader.
"Muhyiddin's announcement is a blatant and clear breach of the Public Services Commission (PSC) regulation which prohibits category A civil servants to play an active part in party politics," said DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock in a press statement today.
Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin said in a New Straits Times report today that Umno would go ahead with its plans of allowing civil servants to be active in politics, adding that the recent amendments to Umno's constitution was to accommodate "civil servants who wanted to be active in politics".
The move is to bring in more professionals into the party's leadership. Category A officers are those in management and managerial posts in the civil service such as teachers, doctors, engineers and legal officers.
According to Kerk, civil servants wanting to be politically active should first resign.
"Umno must abide by the PSC regulation and announce that any of its members who is a category A civil servant must resign from the civil service first if he or she desires to contest in the party elections," Kerk said.
The recent amendments to Umno's constitution made during its Nov 18 extraordinary general meeting allowed for category A civil servants to be active in politics and hold posts.
However, Article 21(1) of the General Orders for Civil Servants 1993 prohibits its category A staff from actively participating in politics. Section 5 of the same article allows the staff to be ordinary members and stipulates that superiors must be told of their involvement. ([#1]Kumpulan A bakal aktif politik[/#], Jan17).
"As such Muhyiddin's announcement has not only violated the PSC's regulation, it has also threatened the very principle and basis which the regulation is based on, that is, the principle of neutrality of the civil servants," Kerk said.
Not acceptable
He added that remarks made by Muhyiddin that category A civil servants elected during Umno elections could either give up the government positions or serve until told to resign was "not acceptable".
"The regulation is clear enough and no one should attempt to violate or get around it by any back door or other methods," Kerk added.
On Wednesday, malaysiakini reported that the regulations could be amended to allow the active participation of category A civil servants in political parties.
"Muhyiddin's announcement is a blatant and clear breach of the Public Services Commission (PSC) regulation which prohibits category A civil servants to play an active part in party politics," said DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock in a press statement today.
Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin said in a New Straits Times report today that Umno would go ahead with its plans of allowing civil servants to be active in politics, adding that the recent amendments to Umno's constitution was to accommodate "civil servants who wanted to be active in politics".
The move is to bring in more professionals into the party's leadership. Category A officers are those in management and managerial posts in the civil service such as teachers, doctors, engineers and legal officers.
According to Kerk, civil servants wanting to be politically active should first resign.
"Umno must abide by the PSC regulation and announce that any of its members who is a category A civil servant must resign from the civil service first if he or she desires to contest in the party elections," Kerk said.
The recent amendments to Umno's constitution made during its Nov 18 extraordinary general meeting allowed for category A civil servants to be active in politics and hold posts.
However, Article 21(1) of the General Orders for Civil Servants 1993 prohibits its category A staff from actively participating in politics. Section 5 of the same article allows the staff to be ordinary members and stipulates that superiors must be told of their involvement. ([#1]Kumpulan A bakal aktif politik[/#], Jan17).
"As such Muhyiddin's announcement has not only violated the PSC's regulation, it has also threatened the very principle and basis which the regulation is based on, that is, the principle of neutrality of the civil servants," Kerk said.
Not acceptable
He added that remarks made by Muhyiddin that category A civil servants elected during Umno elections could either give up the government positions or serve until told to resign was "not acceptable".
"The regulation is clear enough and no one should attempt to violate or get around it by any back door or other methods," Kerk added.
On Wednesday, malaysiakini reported that the regulations could be amended to allow the active participation of category A civil servants in political parties.
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