M'SIAN GOVT TO INTRODUCE NEW REWARD SYSTEM FOR CIVIL SERVANTS

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- The government will introduce a new reward
system to motivate civil servants and inculcate the culture of high performance
in the public sector, Prime Minister Najib Razak said.

He said the country was facing a huge challenge and that although the
country was successful, it remained trapped in the middle-income group.

"This means that if we don't do something, we will remain in this
middle-income trap.

"Meaning, we are neither poor nor rich. This is the biggest challenge for
the country... how we can motivate ourselves so that we are not stuck at where
we are but to move forward to become a truly successful country in our own
mould,"he said at the Prime Minister's Department's monthly gathering here
Monday.

Najib said he and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin as well as Chief Secretary to
the Government Mohd Sidek Hassan were now looking into the reward system.

"Maybe we need to rename the Quality Day as Innovation Day. We want to
formulate a more meaningful reward system, unlike the previous one where civil
servants were given vertical or diagonal salary increment.

"This is not an effective system because we can collude to abuse the system;
this year, it's my turn (to get the vertical or diagonal increment), next year,
it's your turn.

"And don't me tell it didn't happen. It happened, I know," he said.

Najib said that the new reward system was to show that the government would
not tolerate mediocrity or abuse of power.

On the other hand, he said, high performance should be rewarded accordingly.


"We should reward departments which collected more taxes or those which are
successful in prosecutions or those which produced compelling products from
research and development activities," he said.

He also called for an end to incidence of abuse and mismanagement as pointed
out in the Auditor-General's Report, saying it reflected badly on the
government.

"People have gotten cynical. Each time a report is produced, they say it's
just a report and no action will be taken.

"It's the same old story; our performance is not getting better and the
people are criticising us. This will affect the government," he said.

Najib also called on department heads not to tolerate mediocrity among
officers.

"You don't need to scold them of course. You can call them to your office
and tell them that their performances are not up to the quality as expected of
them.

"Just those words it would be good enough. There's no need for table
thumping or raising your voice.

"As a department head, you just say words; I'm sure the officer, next time
around, will produce a better quality work," he said.
-- BERNAMA