PETALING JAYA: The police are short of personnel, the health services are struggling and even the Immigration Department needs more people as the problems of illegals in the country mount.
With all these problems, the government should allow departments and agencies in dire need to hire new people, says the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public Service (Cuepacs).
Its secretary-general Abdul Rahman Mohd Nordin, commenting on the Finance Ministry Guidelines on Public Expenditure Savings, said Cuepacs had never agreed to disallow the creation of new posts, except via trade-offs or redeployment, adding that with departments short of manpower, it would be difficult to even trade off their officers.
The ministry’s new guidelines say the creation of new job positions will not be allowed except if they are via trade-offs and redeployment, with no additional financial implications.
The creation of new posts for critical sectors – education, health, security, enforcement, and national revenue collection – needs to be implemented with strict control.
“During the pandemic, we saw how our health sector struggled. How can we trade off?” asked Abdul Rahman.
“We had to take in more people on contracts. But later, we had to terminate the contracts.
“The police are also short of manpower.”
Abdul Rahman also questioned the need to limit overseas trips by high-ranked officers.
“I am quite puzzled. Why limit the secretary-general’s overseas trip to only three times a year? I doubt they are using a lot of money, plus they are going out only for official duties.
“I think it is best if we allow the higher-ups to control their trips,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cuepacs former president Datuk Azih Muda (pic) said the guidelines were unrealistic given the increased cost of living.
Azih, who is now the Government and Private Sector Retirees Association president, said the government should think of some other mechanisms instead of imposing such restrictions.
“When the government does this, it makes us look desperate,” he said, adding that the budget allocated to the government sector was small enough.
He, too, disagreed with the decision to freeze new posts.
“Every year, we have new graduates from universities, those who completed their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia and other graduates from various institutions, so when the government says this (freeze on new posts), where will these youngsters go?”
According to the guidelines signed off by Treasury secretary-general Datuk Seri Asri Hamidon, cost-saving measures are needed to help finance other additional expenses, like subsidies for the welfare of the people.
The increase in subsidies, especially for petroleum products, cooking oil and others like electricity and poultry, is projected to cost RM77.7bil, compared to the RM31bil allocation approved in Budget 2022.
“Ministries should restructure and propose savings in the operating expenditure,” he said.
