KUANTAN, Jan 25 — The Public Service Commission (PSC) is targeting 30,000 civil servant appointments this year, compared to 25,000 appointments last year.

Its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus said the target was in line with the need to replace retiring officers as well as the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure the continuity of public service delivery to the people.

He said that although applications for the civil service recorded a decrease of about 200,000 from 1.2 million in 2024 to around one million in 2025, Ahmad Jailani remained optimistic that the number of applications would increase again in 2026 and 2027.

“The number of applications to the PSC recorded around 1.2 million in 2024, while last year it decreased to one million. However, we expect the number to be maintained at more than one million this year, God willing,” he said.

He told reporters at the Kuantan PSC Madani Career Journey programme at a hotel here today.

In addition, Ahmad Jailani said the decrease in applications for the civil service was due to the implementation of new qualification requirements under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) which sets the minimum qualification of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

“ The SSPA starts with SPM and above, therefore we see this reduction in the number of applications for those who only have Sijil Rendah Pelajaran (SRP), Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) or lower qualifications,” he said.

Commenting on the Kuantan PSC MADANI Career Journey programme, he said the programme was the first time it was held in Pahang and was PSC’s ongoing effort to reach out to youth and job seekers.

“This programme was created to ensure that youths receive exposure and accurate information about career opportunities in the public service, whether at the federal or state level,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Jailani said the programme also involved open interviews for three categories, namely the Persons with Disabilities (PwD), Orang Asli and nursing positions, with an initial attendance of over 700 people and is expected to reach 1,500 participants today. — Bernama