PETALING JAYA: Civil servants are fearful of being whistleblowers against their bosses or colleagues as complainants are likely to end up in trouble under current practices, say serving and former government servants.
They said the current system makes heads of departments too powerful.
These civil servants, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed to have seen enough in the service to just mind their own business and move on. They said they feared the repercussions, such as being transferred out or having other obstacles thrown in their career path.
A culture of fear exists, besides the rampant practice of colleagues snitching on each other to curry favour with the bosses in order to gain rapid promotions and exemplary appraisals that lead to special pay increments.
“It is easy for the authorities to ask government servants to speak up and assure them that they will be protected. But the reality is that none of them trust that the system will keep the complainants’ particulars confidential,” an officer said.
“The fear is real as civil servants are not allowed to go to the media under their General Orders. Many have remained as silent victims as the whole might of the government will weigh against them,” he said.
A former officer who resigned several years ago spoke of an unwritten culture of sweeping problems under the carpet to protect top officers and preserve the image of a department.
“Once a colleague was taking up the case of women officers being sexually harassed by a senior staff member. Complaints and evidence were sent to a very senior officer but it was covered up,” the former officer said.
“Instead, the complainant was transferred to a department that is considered to be a cold storage for malingerers and others who frequently violate discipline. While her career stalled, the harasser was promoted and moved on,” he told FMT.
Civil servants had been urged by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim earlier this week to criticise actions by the government that were in violation of the law. Anwar said he should not be spared, too.
One officer said if even a complaint against a senior officer could land them in so much trouble, what more if it was against the prime minister or a minister.
A former civil servant told FMT how he was warned by some seniors not to lodge any complaint against the boss as he would face huge problems throughout his career.
Another officer spoke of how a group of senior officers in a ministry had complained to their boss about the abuses that were taking place involving a minister but that they were simply told to shut up.
Racism too was part of the complaints in the civil service, according to an officer, but it seems to be completely ignored. The officer said it was because no one dares to raise the matter for obvious reasons, adding that name-calling was also practised by some officers.
Following Anwar’s call, Cuepacs asked the government to come out with clear guidelines which can protect civil servants from being abused for highlighting any wrongdoings by their superiors.