SEREMBAN: Civil servants have been told to put themselves in the shoes of those seeking government services when serving them, says Public Service director-general Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.

He said that public servants should always provide prompt service to the public who turn up at their offices with queries and applications, as this is what the government wants.

They should constantly look at ways to improve and expedite government services so that the public would appreciate this.

"If our service is good now, we must strive to be even better. We must always think how we can serve better than before," he told reporters when met after visiting Laman Informasi at Wisma Negri here on Thursday (July 18).

Wan Ahmad Dahlan made his first official visit to the state after assuming the post in January and had earlier met civil servants at a closed-door event.

On serving the public, Wan Ahmad Dahlan said that old methods of doing things which only burdened the public must be replaced with simpler and faster ways.

He said the message he wanted to put across to civil servants was that the government is focused on improving and simplifying all services and added that they had a crucial role in this.

"When I visited the state Land and Mines department earlier, I was told it takes half a day for customers to get a copy of their land title.

"I must commend the state government for this as it previously took days or even weeks to get a copy," he said.

Wan Ahmad Dahlan added that many other improvements, such as the renewal of international passports, have been done over the years.

He then said that it was the duty of every public sector employee to think of ways to improve services and directed department heads to continuously review their respective Client's Charter.

"The Clients' Charter is not something which remains static. This should be constantly improvised. Today, many things can be done a lot faster and easier and the improvements should be reflected in the document," he said.

Asked if there was any truth that a handful of civil servants had failed to execute their duties as required of them, Wan Ahmad Dahlan said there probably were.

He added that this can be addressed if department heads or their supervisors made their rounds regularly to check on services at the counters, and also said that department heads are duty bound to report if they know of subordinates involved in corrupt practices.

"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said department heads who fail to report corruption or other wrongdoings in their departments should not be considered for increments or promotions.

They have to take this seriously as it came from the PM himself," he said.

On another matter, Wan Ahmad Dahlan said the PSD and the Finance Ministry are still studying details of a new retirement scheme being proposed for new recruits in the civil service.

He said no specific date has been set to introduce the new retirement scheme following a proposal to do away with the existing pension scheme.

Since Feb 1, new intakes in the civil service have been appointed under a contract of service system.

This came about after the government said it was planning to do away with the current pension system which will cost some RM31bil this year alone and is expected to increase to RM120 billion in 2040.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/18/put-yourselves-in-the-shoes-of-people-seeking-services-civil-servants-told