KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government is committed to ensuring racial balance in the civil service, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Hanipa Maidin.

However, he said, the appointment of an individual into the civil service was based on the merits of qualification under the Public Service Commission (SPA).

"The government appointed a non-Malay as the finance minister based on merit and credibility. The appointments of the attorney-general, chief justice, all these are examples of what the government is doing to create an environment where non-Malays will be interested to work in the civil service,” he said in the oral question-and-answer session at the Senate sitting today.

He was replying to a question from Senator Aknan Ehtook on the racial imbalance among civil servants in the country.

Mohamed Hanipa said based on SPA statistics from 2015 until June 2018, Malays made up the highest number (79.66 per cent) of people who were interested to work in the civil service and had registered with the SPA.

"This is followed by Sabah Bumiputeras at 7.84 per cent; Sarawak (5.59 per cent); Indians (3.21 per cent); other races (1.84 per cent); Chinese (1.6 per cent) and natives 0.25 per cent,” he said.

Mohamed Hanipa said for now, the SPA had no intentions of introducing a quota for the appointments according to a specific ratio.

"The SPA feels that the current intake method based on merit is sufficient to give equal opportunities to all candidates and to ensure that only qualified candidates are appointed into the civil service,” he said.

Replying to a supplementary question from Aknan on the government’s measures to increase the interest of other races in the civil service, Mohamed Hanipa said everyone should accept that people’s tastes and interests differ.

"However, I have instructed the SPA to conduct a survey to find out why there is an imbalance in the civil service and I am sure this survey will be carried in a transparent manner to satisfy all parties,” he said. — Bernama