KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 ― Civil servants who are hired on a contractual basis are required to have a credit for their Bahasa Malaysia subject in the SPM examination, the Public Services Commission (PSC) has said.

PSC chairman Tan Sri Arpah Abdul Razak reportedly confirmed that this requirement by the federal government kicked in this year, but noted that there are exemptions for certain positions.

"Regardless of whether it is contractual or permanent public servants, the condition for applications to join the public service is the same, unless there is an 'exemption' from the Public Services Department (PSD),” she was quoted telling local daily Sin Chew Daily in an interview.

Arpah noted that except for medical officers who are only required to have passed the subject, all those eyeing any posts in the civil service are required to have a credit in BM.

"For the Health Ministry's D41 grade, those who are house officer and medical officer on a contractual basis have exemption and don't have to fulfill the requirement for a pass in BM,” she said.

According to Sin Chew Daily, a circular by the PSD that took effect last July 1 had stated that all civil servants are required to have scored a credit or at least C grade for BM in the SPM or any government-recognised certificate.

The circular had listed medical personnel under the medical and health sector (U) as required to have a pass for the BM subject.

Yesterday, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya explained that the requirement of only a pass in BM at the SPM-level for the Health Ministry's Grade UD41 medical officers is not a relaxation of the language requirement.

He said the PSD had since 2003 allowed doctors to become medical officers in the civil service without having to pass their BM due to a shortage of doctors then and the need to get foreigners to fill in the spots, but said the Health Ministry had, in its initiative to uphold the national language, discussed with the PSD to implement the condition of now requiring a pass in BM.

In the same report by national news agency Bernama, Dr Hilmi said medical graduates doing their housemanship at government hospitals are not required to have a pass in BM, but would have to pass the subject in SPM if they wish to become UD41 medical officers.

He said only less than one per cent of medical graduates undergoing housemanship in government hospitals did not sit for the BM subject, noting that they will have two years during housemanship to get a pass in that subject if they wished to join the civil service. Those who wish to join the private sector after housemanship will not need a pass in BM, he said.

He said the Health Ministry will have discussions with the Education Ministry to allow those who wish to be medical officers in the civil service to sit for only the BM paper at the SPM-level, instead of for six subjects as is currently required.