Sugar to ants

Higher basic salary draws Chinese to civil service

September 13, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — The Chinese community is now keener to apply for government posts compared to previously following some improvement in salaries in the civil service.

Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia (Hua Zong) president Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah attributed this to higher basic salary which attracted those applying to join the civil service.

“The starting salary in the civil service is even higher compared to the private sector in certain industries. This is totally different compared to last time,” he said today.

For example, Pheng said about 450 Chinese job-seekers had applied for government posts recently under the joint campaign by Public Service Commission (PSC) and Hua Zong to increase the number of non-Malay civil servants.

They had applied for an unspecified number of positions under 27 categories, mainly in the medical, healthcare service, immigration, foreign missions and IT and administrative sections of the various ministries.

Pheng said he was happy with the keen response to the joint recruitment drive and gave an assurance that the federation would continue to play an active role to help the government in this matter.

“We had done it before with the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) and recently with the PSC. We also plan to have another session with the Marine police at a later date to get more Chinese to join the police force,” he said.

Based on statistics from the Prime Minister’s Department, the number of applications from the Chinese to join the civil service and their appointments rose by 100 per cent last year compared to 2007.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the PSC received 25,789 applications from the Chinese last year. In 2007, it was 12,872.

He said the appointments offered by the PSC to the Chinese during that period also rose by almost 100 per cent — 2,600 appointed as civil servants last year compared to 1,323 in 2007.

As at June this year, statistics show Malaysia has 1.29 million civil servants, with Malays making up 77 per cent, followed by Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputeras (8.7), Chinese (six), Indians (four) and others (4.3). — Bernama