Sarawak must deal with racially-biased state civil service
State DAP chairman calls for PBB-led BN government not to import Umno-style racial policies from the peninsula into Sarawak, following report by local daily.
“We have had enough of such racial policies by Umno in West Malaysia. Such ideologies ought not to be imported into Sarawak by the BN Sarawak or the PBB-led government,” said Chong in a statement.
The report in question yesterday disclosed that out of a total of 1,478 state civil servants, Malays constitute 54 per cent, while Dayaks constitute 28 per cent and Chinese 17 per cent.
“The racial imbalance is even more starkly obvious when it comes to the top posts, the JUSA grade, where Malays constitute 65 per cent while Dayaks and Chinese each constitute 17 per cent,” Chong said.
The Bandar Kuching lawmaker and Kota Sentosa assemblyman compared this to the state’s overall racial composition of 29.8 per cent Malay/Melanau, 45.3 per cent, Dayak and 24 per cent Chinese.
Chong said he especially questioned this in light of how the State Speaker had a few years ago rejected his question on the racial composition of the state civil service on the grounds that the matter was a “sensitive issue”.
“Barisan Nasional Sarawak has a lot to hide and that was the true reason for refusing to answer my question. The issue itself is not a sensitive one, but the policy implemented by the BN Sarawak turned it into a sensitive issue,” Chong said.
Chong commented that this could not have happened over one or two years alone, but was the result of long-term planning by the state government.
“Even if the BN government refused to disclose the information to me and the public, what have the previous ministers been doing in the Cabinet, allowing such an unhealthy and unfair policy to go on unchecked?” he asked.
“BN Sarawak has always boasted about being fair and kind to all races but the figures revealed prove otherwise. It seems that there is an agenda to benefit one single race over and above the others.”
He castigated the state’s ministers, such as Chief Minister Adenan Satem, James Masing, Abang Johari, Wong Soon Koh, Michael Manyin, Awang Tengah and Fatimah Abdullah for not doing anything despite them having served as ministers for more than 10 years.
Chong called on the state government to answer if it intends to deal with the issue of representation and to make known the workings of its plan to do so.
In the Borneo Post report, Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) president Dusit Jaul said that Adenan needed to take the next five years to honestly correct this imbalance.
“The failure to do so could lead to political liability for the ruling party going into the 12th state election,” Dusit told The Borneo Post yesterday.
He had also said that there are more than enough Dayaks to be promoted to higher posts in the state civil service.
“We also believe that Dayak officers are equally capable as their counterparts from other ethnic groups,” Dusit had said.
“So seriously, do consider the Dayaks for management posts as doing so would shield the state government from accusations of discrimination and marginalisation.
“The other point is that by policies and acts of inclusivity, the state government would harness the best talents to administer the state – something which the Singapore government has successfully done.”
Dongzong president Vincent Lau had also said that the community knew that this had been happening because some of those who were in the recruitment process had been irresponsible.
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“This is happening not because the Dayak or the Chinese applicants are not qualified or incapable enough. It is because those responsible for recruitment, have been making decisions without taking into consideration the ratio regarding racial composition in Sarawak,” he said.