MARCH 9 — Over the years, I noticed that people don’t have good things to say about public servants. As a public servant myself, there are both good and bad things when it comes to working in government. I would like to write this article to give people a brief insight into what it is like working in government.

The first thing people have to understand is that it is tough to join the public sector. Many applicants often wait for years before being interviewed. This is because roles in the public sector are limited. Many who have been in the civil service, have been working there for a long time. And because public servants rarely get terminated, we often work into retirement.

This brings me to why working in the public sector is so desired by many. The job benefits are good. Before, you were guaranteed a pension. It is different nowadays, since we are enrolled into EPF. That said, it is normal to get subsidised housing, or sometimes even free housing. As a public servant, you also get good rates on loans and discounts on a variety of things such as hotel stays. About two generations ago, when a civil servant retired, they get an all-expense trip to travel overseas, usually Europe, with their family. Sadly, this incentive has stopped.

But not all is positive. Even with these benefits, a public servant’s pay is low compared to the private sector market. Many public servants can work for almost a decade and still not make more than RM5,000 monthly. The low pay is sometimes compensated for by allowance. This provides for things like phone bills, house rental and more.

But what about leave? People often complain about not being able to reach public servants because they are often away from the desk. We get at least 30 days a year, not including other types of leave such as half-pay or unrecorded. We are also expected to attend seminars or workshops to improve our skills, or to understand how other departments work.

Malaysian government employees work inside the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) office in Putrajaya in this file picture taken on October 9, 2013. — Reuters pic

Early on, I mentioned how there are benefits. One of the major benefits of joining the public sector is work-life balance. We are not encouraged to work beyond working hours, although there are cases where overtime happens. Many of my colleagues would leave home by 5PM sharp, and this allows us to spend time with our families. This also frees up our time to pursue other businesses, because a civil servant’s pay is often quite low that we need a second job to make ends meet.

But sometimes, there are those who take their work-life balance unethically. There are civil servants who come to work, but leave the office during office hours to attend to their other businesses. Why does this happen? This is because sometimes, there are many officers who are doing the same job. What I mean by this is that in the private sector, one person is expected to do the responsibilities of different roles. In the public sector, the responsibility of one role is shared among different officers. This can sometimes mean that certain staff have more free time than others. This does not happen everywhere, but it is something that does happen.

Now that we are discussing office culture, we have to discuss office politics. It isn’t unusual for public sector offices to have office politics. In a civil service hierarchy, the higher up you are, the more important you become. To move up without problems, this also means you have to follow what your superiors think is correct. This is not exclusive to the public sector, as the same expectations also exist in the private sector. The only difference is that because the public sector is linked to politicians and power, the effects of office politics are stronger.

Another thing people criticise the public sector for is it only hires Malays. This is not true, as all races are encouraged to join the public sector. However, because of low pay, most non-Malays do not find it attractive to work in the public sector when they can earn more in the private sector. As a result of this, the public sector ends up being filled with Malays. This has led to the public sector culture being more Malay and Islamic. It is not unusual for some government departments to have religious reading sessions in the mornings or during lunchtime. This change in culture also impacts those who are not as religious, as they are often pressured or expected to follow the same religious culture as others in the office.

Finally, people ask why it is difficult to terminate public servants. This is not true. There are consequences if a public servant is reprimanded. Often, problematic officers are transferred into what is known as "cold storage” departments. When someone is sent to these places, they will no longer have career progression. This also means no promotion, and no pay increase. The tasks and responsibilities they have are also inconsequential to the ministry or agency. Usually, those who end up here are those who are too vocal or those who are "politically” problematic. If you end up here, you either stay here until retirement or until you cannot stand it and choose to resign.

I hope my sharing has shed some light on the public sector.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.