This time the 80% of the civil servants who are living on pay check to pay check are going to vote with their stomachs and you can bet their stomachs are very empty. Racial and religious rhetoric does not feed them or their souls. BN this time will be in a very nasty shock at the ballot boxes and they are going to feel the full blunt of the dissatisfied Malay rural – semi-urban and urban voters and they anger will be directed to BN-UMNO and PAS. A dog or monkey standing against a BN candidate will hands down and this is the level of frustration the Malays are feeling now.
Stalls in Kampung Baru, with the iconic Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers in the background. Malaysia’s wealth is not spread equally with nearly 800,000 civil servants reportedly belonging to the bottom 40% (B40) group. – EPA pic, May 19, 2017.
AKHMA opted for the top bunk in the smallest room in a three-bedroom flat in Precinct 9, Putrajaya. It wasn’t cheap at RM280 a month, but still cheaper than a room or a whole unit to herself. The lower bunk costs RM20 extra.
Though a civil servant, she had to share the flat with five housemates.
“My flat is in the most undesirable location in Putrajaya, where most of the foreign workers live. I have been living here for 1½ years now and it’s not cheap either,” she told The Malaysian Insight at one of the government complexes in the administrative capital.
The 27-year-old from Gombak said she had to relocate to Putrajaya because of work demands, the same reason she bought a Proton Saga.
“I could’ve chosen to live in a bigger place or buy a Myvi, but I want to save at least RM300 a month,” she said, adding that she spent most of her salary on petrol and food.
She said the cost of living would be one of the major factors when it comes to voting in the next general election.
“I don’t really follow politics but I will look at their election manifestos and see which one will benefit people like me,” the undecided voter said.
Political analyst Mohamad Hisomuddin Bakar of the Ilham Centre said unlike those with perks at the top, civil servants aged 35 and under were the ones struggling to make ends meet and more willing to vote in change.
The 1.6 million civil servants, who make up 12% of registered voters, are considered Barisan Nasional’s vote bank.
“We can even see the trend in the previous election and if situation does not change, we expect a bigger swing from the civil servants,” he told The Malaysian Insight.
Factors like low salaries, rising cost of living, high housing prices and weak ringgit have changed the voting pattern even for those from hard-core Umno families, he said.
Last December, The Sun reported Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services Malaysia (Cuepacs) president Azih Muda as saying about 700,000 to 800,000 civil servants could be categorised in the bottom 40% (B40) group.
GDP effects not trickling down
Socio-Economic Research Centre Sdn Bhd executive director Lee Heng Guie said despite forecast of stronger gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of 2017, people were still worried about the current economic situation.
“There is a disconnection between what the data shows and what consumers are feeling. People still feel that conditions have not improved as they look at the overall economy and see that growth has slowed down for the last two years,” he said.
Lee added that the scenario could be reflected in Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER)’s consumer sentiment index (CSI), which is still below the 100-point optimism threshold. Malaysia’s consumer price inflation also hit an eight-year high in March, at 5.1%.
“Despite petrol prices dropping in the last three weeks, the cost of living is still high and that will continue to pinch on the low income and the middle income. This is due to price stickiness as traders will not lower prices even though petrol prices have come down.”
RAM Ratings expects the economy to grow 4.8% in the first quarter, a higher figure than the 4.5% in the Q4, 2016. The ratings agency cited stronger exports as the major factor for the Q1 growth rate. Bank Negara will release the Q1 growth rate today.
Hisomuddin said only senior civil servants, such as those who in premier grades or JUSA (public service premier post) are worried about a change in government.
“The dogma of civil servants must vote (ruling party) has changed but for senior officers or JUSA, it’s still about Malay Muslims who must lead the government, not a party like DAP,” he said.
Crackdown on civil servants
Despite the recent Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) crackdown on immigration, customs and police personnel in recent weeks, political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat does not think it will figure during elections.
The Penang Institute fellow said the majority of government employees were not decision-makers, law enforcers or gate-keepers in any licensing or application process.
“Hence they have no power to extract bribery or embezzle public funds. I doubt they will identify with the corrupt officials who live way beyond their legal incomes.
“Najib’s civil servant votes are shaken, not so much by crackdown on graft, but because he has no buy money to give subsidies and pay rise to buy their support,” Wong said.
Pro-BN sentiments run deep
But deputy chairman of Institute Darul Ehsan Professor Mohammad Redzuan Othman said the feeling of gratefulness among the Malays towards BN remains high.
“Yes, some will vote the opposition but only those who are conscious of what’s happening. Bear in mind that civil service votes are not conclusive, because even though they feel grateful, it doesn’t mean that they will vote the ruling party.”
He said civil servants who kept voting for the ruling party usually never experienced a change of government, like Johor and Malacca.
“In Selangor, the level of satisfaction among civil servants in the state is very high, more than 60%. But those in Johor and Malacca never had a ruling party other than BN.
“That’s why they are not willing to take the risk, unless something drastic happens that causes them to change their minds,” he said, adding that civil servants in Selangor have now accepted the Pakatan Harapan-led government.
Hisomuddin, however, added that a big swing depends on the opposition’s ability to offer better policies to the civil servants. – May 19, 2017.
To downsize, it’s either the government sells off state entities or cut staff.’
To downsize, it’s either the government sells off state entities or cut staff.’
Clever Voter: Our large bureaucracy is a result of overlapping structures of state agencies at every level of government.
BN has delivered what it promised - full employment - but it comes with a heavy price. For every one ringgit of tax revenue, 90 percent easily goes to support wages, salaries, benefits, pensions, etc.
For as long as we have petroleum revenue, every PM past and present believes this is the right thing to do as a benevolent state.
Aside from assuring political loyalty, the extras will help out in party activities. For BN, there is no difference between party and government activities.
To downsize, it’s either the government sells off state entities or cut staff, both are double-edged swords.
It would be politically unwise to slash staff as no one will give up on job security. New wealth has to be created to support the civil service. Borrow if they have to. After all, this is their fixed deposit.
The Final Count Down: Former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim, it is almost impossible to cut down the number of those in the civil service as it is Umno’s fixed deposit.
It would be much easier to cut down on kleptocracy by voting for the opposition. There must be enough repented retired civil servants to tilt the scale.
Mosquitobrain: A popularity-seeking government prefers a bloated civil service rather than facing high unemployment rates and student protests.
The government’s quest to create an educational hub has allowed many higher learning institutions to mushroom in the country.
Not many educationists are willing to come here due to low pay, the medium of instruction and inconsistent education policies. The problem was further compounded by political interference. Thus, many government institutions of higher learnings are forced to engage local and underqualified lecturers.
Upon graduation, those better-off graduates will apply for further studies, leaving behind graduates with below average results to look for jobs.
Most of the bumiputera graduates will find their way into the civil service sectors. The private sectors are not able to absorb the majority of them due to demands for a high starting salary, the language barrier, poor qualifications and communication skills, and lack of experience.
P Dev Anand Pillai: The current administration is only interested in the votes, it doesn't care how the votes come in.
So Mohd Sheriff, do you seriously think that this administration is bothered about the size of its workforce?
FairMind: Cutting down the civil service salaries and expenses should be the first priority in reducing country’s expenditure.
Instead, the government is resorting to cutting scholarships for students, reducing medical supplies for the sick and increasing fees, prices and taxes for hospitals, traffic offenders, petrol and basic foodstuffs.
Maintaining a bloated civil service at the expense of the public doesn't make sense at all except for the kleptocrats in the civil service and in politics, who use these civil service positions as a means to bleed the country dry through alleged rampant corruption and leakages.
The larger the civil service, the more the corruption and the leakages.
Annonymous: This hideous monster was created by a certain ‘MM’ and continued up to now. But reducing this civil service would not stop the impending destruction of this country.
The critical factors that can save this country are foremost - get rid of the corrupt, racist and religious bigots in power, impose meritocracy and eliminate racism, cronyism and corruption.
Appoint the best brains in every institution and government-linked company (GLC) and only the best brains to serve as vice-chancellors in the varsities and heads of schools to ensure quality education, reduce the brain drain, and to stop the millions of illegal migrants, labourers and low-skilled immigrants freely invading the country.
And most essentially to elect an intellectual Malay or a ‘Lee Kuan Yew’ as PM to save this country. Asking for too much, right?
But there is no other remedy to save this sick country except to impose all of the above to ensure progress and success of this once great nation.
Dont Just Talk: Leadership by example is to start reducing the number of ministers - eight of them - in the PM's Office, which is not only bloated but is a joke, with so many ministers without any portfolio. Secondly, reduce alleged corruption and abuse of power by the ruling government.
If we can instil confidence in the country, the value of our ringgit will appreciate against the US dollar and Singapore dollar. Otherwise, it is Nato - no action, talk only.
Single Malt: Civil servants are Umno‘s vote bank. Also, when you reduce the civil service what are these people going to do? The crime rate may perhaps increase.
Stopping foreign manpower may be a solution. However, this will affect the ‘side income’ of several ministers and their cronies, and not to forget the officers who seemingly depend on regular ‘donations’ from foreign workers.
ABC123: The hard truth is this - our civil service is a taxpayer-funded programme to increase the employment rate, economic standing, and standard of living for a certain race. This is the pathetic truth which is too politically incorrect to admit.
Responsible Malaysian: Since the day they created this giant monster, they know that they will be swallowed by it one day as the giant monster will eat up all the revenues generated.
And if they stop feeding it, the giant monster will swallow the creator without a second thought.
Just a Malaysian: Malaysia has to go down like Greece before we would be forced to take radical action. There is too much of the ‘ketuanan’ issue at stake with regard to the civil service. No political party will even suggest it.
We will probably be needing another National Operations Council (NOC) after the bankruptcy, if it happens, to remedy this monster.
I am very sure Malaysians of all races need to go through a heart-wrenching economic crisis before we wake up to the folly of our present thinking.
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