GAJI, PENCEN TARIKAN UTAMA SEKTOR AWAM

Utusan Malaysia
29/4/2009



PUTRAJAYA 28 April - Skim gaji dan pencen yang kompetitif dalam sektor awam berjaya menarik lebih ramai rakyat menceburi sektor itu berbanding sektor swasta.
Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam berkata, berbanding beberapa tahun lalu ketika sektor swasta menjadi pilihan utama, trend tersebut kini berubah dengan lebih ramai rakyat mahu berkhidmat dengan kerajaan.
"Sektor awam telah mengalami perubahan yang besar dalam tempoh singkat. Gaji dan skim kebajikan untuk pemandu dan kerani di sektor awam umpamanya adalah lebih baik berbanding sektor swasta," katanya.
Beliau ditemui selepas merasmikan Sambutan Hari Sedunia Bagi Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan 2009 di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Putrajaya (PICC) di sini hari ini.
Subramaniam mengulas cadangan Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Di Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) supaya kerajaan membenarkan kakitangan sektor awam mengeluarkan lima hingga 10 peratus gratuiti sebelum bersara.
Subramaniam bagaimanapun berkata, cadangan CUEPACS tersebut terletak di bawah tanggungjawab Ketua Setiausaha Negara dan Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA).
Sementara itu, beliau berkata, pihaknya bercadang meneliti semula Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan 1994 bagi memastikan pegawai keselamatan dan kesihatan memainkan peranan yang sewajarnya di mana mereka ditempatkan.
"Mungkin ada beberapa kaedah atau perkara yang perlu diteliti semula, majikan dalam kelas dan industri tertentu telah diwajibkan di bawah akta ini untuk menggaji seorang pegawai keselamatan dan kesihatan," katanya.
Beliau berkata, ramai majikan didapati masih tidak memahami tanggungjawab mereka untuk mewujudkan tempat kerja yang selamat kepada pekerja.

MANY INTERESTED TO JOIN PUBLIC SECTOR- SUBRAMANIAM

Bernama
By: Ramjit-->

29/4/2009

PUTRAJAYA, April 28 (Bernama) -- The more attractive salary scheme and pension system off late has made more people interested to join the public sector, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said."The public sector has undergone big changes within a short time, the salary and benefits for drivers and clerks in the public sector for example is better compared to the private sector."Hence, public sector employees should appreciate the advantages given by the government and they should serve better," he told reporters after launching World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2009 here today.He was commenting on Cuepacs' call on the government to allow public sector employees to withdraw five to 10 percent of their gratuity before retirement.Cuepacs president Omar Osman said yesterday that the proposal was aimed at lightening the burden of civil servants especially during the economic slowdown.Meanwhile, Subramaniam said the government planned to relook at the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 to ensure employers comply with the requirement for them to have a safety and health officer.Having such an officer was compulsory but some employers did not have one, he said. "Perhaps there are several methods or things that need to be relooked to make sure employers heed and comply with the directive," he said.He also said that the ministry was publishing a guidebook on how to manage occupational safety and health in four languages, namely Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Tamil.The objective was to help employers know what was needed and where to find information on occupational safety and health, he said.-- BERNAMA

120,000 PESARA GLC TERIMA PENCEN RM130

Berita Harian
Oleh Faiza Zainudinfaiza@bharian.com.my
30/4/2009




KUALA LUMPUR: Kira-kira 400,000 ahli Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja dalam Syarikat Berkaitan Kerajaan (GLC) kecewa dengan sikap pengurusan syarikat mereka yang mengabaikan kebajikan pekerja dengan membayar pencen serendah RM130 sebulan. Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Bertindak kesatuan itu, Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal, berkata bayaran rendah di bawah kategori paras kemiskinan itu tidak munasabah pada masa sekarang, lebih-lebih lagi ketika dunia dilanda krisis kewangan. Beliau berkata, bayaran pencen itu terlalu rendah berbanding pencen minima kakitangan kerajaan iaitu RM720 sebulan.
Dianggarkan kira-kira 30 peratus atau 120,000 ahli kesatuan itu yang mewakili 80 GLC di seluruh negara menerima bayaran pencen RM130 sebulan meskipun berkhidmat lebih 25 tahun. “Kami memohon kerajaan mengkaji semula kadar bayaran pencen ini kerana jumlah berkenaan tidak dapat menampung perbelanjaan diri sendiri, apatah lagi menyara keluarga termasuk anak yang masih bersekolah. “Rayuan ini terpaksa dibuat kerana majikan tidak mengendahkan kebajikan kami, sedangkan mereka menerima bayaran gaji tinggi dan syarikat mencatat prestasi keuntungan memberangsangkan setiap tahun,” katanya pada sidang media di sini, semalam.
Turut hadir 10 wakil dari kesatuan itu yang membabitkan Telekom Malaysia, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Pos Malaysia, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad dan Syarikat Penerbangan Malaysia. Mohamed Shafie yang juga Presiden Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-pekerja Telekomunikasi Malaysia (Nute) berkata, selain bayaran pencen, kesatuan juga menggesa kerajaan mengkaji semula kriteria pengambilan pekerja luar untuk berkhidmat dalam GLC. Beliau berkata, pengambilan pekerja luar secara sewenang-wenangnya terutama bagi mengisi jawatan penting sebenarnya menafikan peluang pekerja dalaman syarikat yang terbukti mempunyai pengalaman luas dan kemahiran tinggi.

KESATUAN PEGAWAI PENGANGKUTAN JALAN SAMBUT BAIK CADANGAN CUEPACS

Bernama
28/4/2009

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 April (Bernama) -- Kesatuan Pegawai Pengangkutan Jalan Semenanjung Malaysia menyambut baik cadangan Cuepacs mengenai pengeluaran 10 peratus gratuiti kepada kakitangan awam sebelum bersara.Presidennya Hamzah Masri dalam kenyataannya hari ini berkata pengeluaran wang ganjaran pesaraan itu dapat memberi peluang kepada kakitangan awam membantu kerajaan merancakkan lagi rangsangan ekonomi."Dalam keadaan ekonomi sekarang sumber kewangan itu dapat membantu meringankan beban serta dapat mengelakkan mereka daripada terjebak meminjam daripada ceti haram serta timbulnya masalah sosial yang lain," katanya.Semalam, Presiden Cuepacs Omar Osman mencadangkan agar kerajaan membenarkan pekerja sektor awam mengeluarkan lima hingga 10 peratus daripada jumlah ganjaran perkhidmatan masing-masing sebelum bersara.Ini membolehkan kira-kira 1.3 juta kakitangan sektor awam menampung perbelanjaan harian mereka bagi menghadapi cabaran krisis kewangan global yang tidak stabil.-- BERNAMA

LEBIH RAMAI MINAT SERTAI SEKTOR AWAM BERBANDING SEKTOR SWASTA

Bernama
By: Ramjit-->
28/4/2009




PUTRAJAYA, 28 April (Bernama) -- Penyediaan skim gaji dan sistem pencen yang semakin menarik dalam sektor awam sejak kebelakangan ini menyebabkan lebih ramai berminat menyertai sektor itu berbanding sektor swasta, kata Menteri Sumber Manusia Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.Beliau berkata sektor awam telah mengalami perubahan yang besar dalam tempoh yang singkat di mana gaji dan kebajikan untuk sesetengah jenis pekerjaan adalah lebih baik berbanding dengan sektor swasta."Justeru itu pekerja sektor awam perlu menghargai apa kelebihan yang telah diberikan kerajaan dan berkhidmat lebih baik," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan sambutan Hari Sedunia Bagi Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan 2009 di sini hari ini.Beliau berkata demikian sebagai mengulas cadangan Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) supaya kerajaan membenarkan kakitangan sektor awam mengeluarkan lima hingga 10 peratus gratuiti sebelum bersara.Presiden CUEPACS Omar Osman berkata cadangan berkenaan bertujuan untuk meringankan beban kakitangan awam khasnya pada ketika negara menghadapi kelembapan ekonomi.Sementara itu Dr Subramaniam berkata kementerian bercadang untuk meneliti semula Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan 1994 bagi memastikan penyediaan seorang pegawai keselamatan dan kesihatan oleh majikan benar-benar dipatuhi.Beliau berkata meskipun dalam akta sedia ada sudah mewajibkan majikan berbuat demikian tetapi masih ada yang gagal."Mungkin ada beberapa kaedah atau perkara yang perlu diteliti semula bagi memastikan majikan akur dan patuh dengan arahan itu," katanya.Selain itu Dr Subramaniam berkata kementerian turut menerbitkan buku panduan memulakan perniagaan: Mengurus Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan, diterbitkan dalam empat bahasa, Melayu, Inggeris, Mandarin dan Tamil.Ia bertujuan membantu majikan mengetahui apa yang diperlukan dan di mana boleh mendapatkan maklumat mengenai keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan, katanya.Dalam perkembangan lain, Dr Subramaniam yang juga Setiausaha agung MIC berkata beliau menyokong pendapat Anggota Majlis Tertinggi Parti Progresif Penduduk (PPP) Datuk T. Murugiah bahawa masyarakat India akan terus berpecah sekiranya banyak parti politik berasaskan kaum itu diwujudkan di negara ini.Dr Subramaniam berkata bila terlalu banyak parti ia akan menyukarkan suara kaum itu untuk lebih didengari."Dulu cuma parti MIC yang mewakili suara kaum India dan ia dapat sokongan yang banyak...dan kita bila suarakan apa jua pandangan itulah pandangan keseluruhan kaum itu."Tapi kini apabila banyak parti akan timbul soal apakah pandangan yang disuarakan itu mewakili semua atau segelintir daripada mereka sahaja. Kalau ini berterusan ia akan melemahkan lagi kuasa kaum India", katanya.Baru-baru ini bekas wartawan Malay Mail, Manuel Lopez menubuhkan parti Barisan Bertindak Demokratik India Malaysia (Mindraf).Parti itu dikatakan diasaskan pada Julai 2005 dan borang pendaftaran kepada Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) akan dihantar sebelum akhir bulan ini bagi memohon kelulusan untuk membolehkan Mindraf menjadi sebuah parti yang sah.-- BERNAMA

CUEPACS PROPOSE GRATUITY WITHDRAWAL

The Star
28/4/2009



GEORGE TOWN: Cuepacs has proposed that the Government allow civil servants who have served 10 years and more to withdraw 10% of their gratuity now to spur domestic consumption during the current hard times.
Its president Omar Osman said this was among several proposals they will raise when they meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak soon.
“A letter requesting for the inaugural meeting between Najib and Cuepacs was dispatched last week.
“We are hoping for a favourable response soon, especially since next week will be Labour Day,” he told newsmen here after a briefing session with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) union members.
Omar said if the Government was unable to meet the request, then it would suggest that civil servants be paid for their uncleared accummulated leave.
“The move will put additional cash in their pockets to spur spending.
“This is better than allowing civil servants to obtain loans through illicit schemes, including many who have fallen victim to get-rich quick schemes,” he said.
Other proposals include setting the pension pay at a minimum RM320 a month, extending maternity leave to 84 days from 60 days, a fixed housing allowance of RM280 a month and a standardised cost of living allowance of RM300 per month.
Omar said Cuepacs would work with MTUC to address the concerns of contract workers following reports that many were being laid off, including those who have yet to reach retirement age.
“It is disheartening to note that some contract workers who have been working for between five and 10 years are being laid off,” he said.
Omar said there were about 30,000 contract workers in the civil service and many of them were worried about job security.

CUEPACS REGRETS SARAVANAN'S MOVE TO PUBLICISE

Bernama

By: Ramjit-->
28/4/2009




KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- Cuepacs has expressed regret over the manner in which Federal Territories Deputy Minister Datuk M. Saravanan reacted when he found two Kuala Lumpur General Hospital doctors 'napping' on Sunday.Its secretary-general, Ahmad Shah Md Zin, said the deputy minister should have been more thoughtful and diplomatic, rather then inform the press about the incident."Cuepacs does not condone civil servants who fail to perform, but in this particular case, it was most unfair of him to publicise the incident which might have been just an isolated case."It is common courtesy that the matter be brought to the attention of the General Hospital director or the health minister, rather than announce it to the media and the whole world."Surely, as a politician, he did score some points...but at whose expense,?" he asked Monday.Ahmad Shah was commenting on the incident at the hospital's emergency unit where Saravanan 'caught' a doctor reading newspapers and another doing his own stuff while patients were waiting outside.He added that not just doctors but all civil servants were "deeply hurt" by what Saravanan had done.Ahmad Shah explained that doctors, particularly in the emergency units of general hospitals nationwide, were hard-pressed and worked long hours to attend to the large number of patients.On an average, he said, these doctors handled about 70-100 cases daily, with the majority of them doing a "great job" in providing excellent service within the constraints.He claimed the negative publicity had greatly affected the morale of not just doctors, but all civil servants, as well.Ahmad Shah hoped the prime minister would take note of the matter and advise his ministers not to go overboard.He assured that Cuepacs was always open to admonishing errant civil servants and would cooperate with department heads to discipline wayward workers.-- BERNAMA

INSENTIF MENARIK DOKTOR PAKAR

Utusan Malaysia
28/4/2009



Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) merujuk kepada saranan CUEPACS dalam akhbar Utusan Malaysia bertarikh 13 April 2009 bertajuk Doktor Pakar Kerajaan Perlu Diberi Keistimewaan.
Kerajaan telah menyediakan pelbagai keistimewaan bagi menarik dan mengekalkan Pegawai Perubatan Pakar dalam sektor awam.
Dari segi saraan, kerajaan telah menaikkan kadar Bayaran Insentif Pakar (BIP) sebanyak 23% - 38% berkuat kuasa mulai 1 Januari 2009 yang membolehkan Pegawai Perubatan Pakar menerima bayaran insentif antara RM1,600 - RM3,100 berdasarkan gred-gred yang ditetapkan.
Pegawai Perubatan Pakar juga layak menikmati Bayaran Insentif Perkhidmatan Kritikal (BIPK) sebanyak RM750 sebulan berkuat kuasa mulai 1 Januari 2009 yang merupakan kadar yang tertinggi berbanding dengan skim-skim perkhidmatan lain yang menerima BIPK pada kadar 5%, 10%, 15% daripada gaji.
Pegawai Perubatan Pakar juga menerima Bayaran Insentif Pembedahan Elektif yang dijalankan pada hari Sabtu dengan kadar RM200 sejam.
Selain penambahbaikan dari segi saraan, JPA juga telah memperbaiki laluan kerjaya pegawai perubatan dengan mewujudkan lebih banyak jawatan-jawatan kenaikan pangkat.
Pada tahun 2008, kerajaan telah meluluskan 533 jawatan tambahan bagi Pegawai Perubatan Pakar meliputi pelbagai gred kenaikan pangkat. Kursus-kursus kepakaran yang diperolehi dinilai taraf sebagai memenuhi syarat Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan (PTK) bagi tujuan kenaikan pangkat ke Gred UD48.
Skim perkhidmatan Pegawai Perubatan pula telah diperbaiki di mana kemasukan secara lateral dibenarkan di gred-gred kenaikan pangkat seperti Gred UD43, UD45 dan UD51 bagi menarik Pegawai Perubatan yang berpengalaman dan berkelayakan untuk berkhidmat dalam sektor awam.
Usaha meningkatkan bilangan Pegawai Perubatan Pakar dilaksanakan melalui penambahan bilangan biasiswa bagi mengikuti bidang-bidang kepakaran.
Pada 2008, sebanyak 600 biasiswa telah ditawarkan bagi mengikuti pelbagai bidang kepakaran.
Mengenai cadangan pihak CUEPACS supaya perbincangan diadakan dengan pegawai perubatan terlibat, perkara tersebut telah pun dilaksanakan melalui rundingan berterusan antara JPA dan Kementerian Kesihatan dan melalui forum MBK bagi pegawai-pegawai Kumpulan Pengurusan dan Profesional (P&P).

UNIT KOMUNIKASI KORPORAT
Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia

LET CIVIL SERVANTS WITHDRAW GRATUITY

Bernama
CuepacsBy: Ramjit-->
27/4/2009



PENANG, April 27 (Bernama) -- Cuepacs has urged the government to allow civil servants to make a withdrawal of between five and 10 per cent of their gratuity before retirement to ease their financial woes.Its president, Omar Osman said the money would help deter them from turning to illegal money lenders and help stimulate the economy.The request had been submitted to the Public Service Department for consideration, he told reporters after giving a talk on Cuepacs at Universiti Sains Malaysia here Monday."We had received feedback from the PSD that the request is being considered for the next course of action and we hope the government will approve it," he said.Omar said during the 1998 economic turmoil, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had approved a financial aid of RM500 for civil servants to make ends meet.-- BERNAMA

CUEPACS CADANG PENGELUARAN 10 PERATUS GRATUITI

Berita Harian
27/4/2009



GEORGETOWN: Cuepacs meminta kerajaan membenarkan kakitangan awam mengeluarkan 10 peratus daripada jumlah ganjaran perkhidmatan masing-masing sebelum mereka bersara. Presidennya, Omar Osman, berkata pengeluaran itu bagi membolehkan kira-kira 1.3 juta kakitangan awam menampung perbelanjaan mereka lebih-lebih lagi ketika ekonomi dunia tidak stabil. "Pada 1998 ketika ekonomi negara tidak stabil, Perdana Menteri ketika itu, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, memberi RM500 kepada kakitangan awam untuk berbelanja bagi merancakkan ekonomi.
"Kini Cuepacs hanya minta kerajaan benarkan kami keluarkan 10 peratus atau setidak-tidaknya lima peratus daripada gratuiti kami," katanya kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan ceramah berkaitan isu semasa Cuepacs di Universiti Sains Malaysia di sini, hari ini. Omar berkata, dengan adanya wang hasil pengeluaran itu, ia dapat menghalang kakitangan awam daripada berhutang dengan pihak tidak bertanggungjawab seperti ceti haram. Katanya, cadangan itu sudah dikemukakan kepada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) dan pihaknya juga telah menerima maklumat balas yang ia akan dipertimbangkan.
"Kita harap kerajaan dapat meluluskannya," katanya. - Bernama

CUEPACS KEMUKA 10 TUNTUTAN BARU

Utusan Malaysia
27/4/2009



PULAU PINANG 27 April - Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Di Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) menuntut 10 perkara baru daripada kerajaan dalam usaha menambah baik prestasi dan kebajikan kira-kira 1.3 juta kakitangan sektor awam di seluruh negara.
Presidennya, Omar Osman berkata, buat permulaan, pihak kesatuan mengemukakan lima tuntutan awal yang sudah dihantar kepada Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Beliau berkata, lima tuntutan tersebut ialah memohon penambahan cuti bersalin daripada 60 hari kepada 84 hari; Penambahbaikan Penilaian Tahap Kecekapan (PTK); kenaikan kadar imbuhan tetap perumahan daripada RM180 kepada RM230; Elaun Sara Hidup (COLA) diselaraskan sebanyak RM300 di semua kawasan dan kajian semula kadar pencen yang diterima oleh kakitangan kerajaan.
''CUEPACS sudah menghantar surat untuk mengadakan pertemuan itu dengan Perdana Menteri dan sedang menunggu jawapan daripada beliau. Pertemuan dijangka diadakan dalam waktu terdekat ini.
''Pada pertemuan itu nanti, kesatuan akan menjelaskan kepada Perdana Menteri tentang tuntutan tersebut secara lebih lanjut. Walaupun kita memohon tetapi tidak akan melakukan desakan tentang beberapa perkara seperti COLA dan imbuhan tetap perumahan kerana sedar keadaan ekonomi yang tidak elok,'' katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar selepas mengadakan ceramah tentang hala tuju CUEPACS dan isu-isu semasa di Dewan Kuliah A, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) di sini hari ini.
Kira-kira 1,000 kakitangan USM hadir mendengar ceramah selama dua jam itu.
Menurut beliau, tuntutan baru itu dikemukakan bagi menjamin kakitangan sektor awam yang bersara mendapat imbuhan terbaik untuk mengelakkan mereka terjerumus dengan perkara tidak elok.
''Kita tidak mahu selepas bersara, mereka terjerumus dalam skim cepat kaya dan perlu bekerja keras sebagai pemandu teksi dan buruh kasar hanya semata-mata perlu mencari pendapatan untuk menampung kos hidup. Biarlah mereka bersara dengan mempunyai pendapatan yang agak lumayan. Inilah yang kita perjuangkan,'' katanya.
Merujuk kepada kakitangan awam kontrak yang diberhentikan, Omar berkata, pihaknya menganggarkan 3,000 kakitangan kontrak di seluruh negara diberhentikan sejak Januari tahun lalu sehingga sekarang berikutan kegawatan ekonomi.
Katanya, setakat ini terdapat kira-kira 50,000 kakitangan kontrak iaitu 20,000 kakitangan di bawah lantikan Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) dan Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam (SPA). Manakala baki 30,000 orang adalah lantikan kementerian, kerajaan negeri, jabatan dan agensi.
''Kakitangan kontrak lantikan JPA dan SPA tidak ada masalah kerana mereka ini disambung kontrak tetapi yang menjadi masalah ialah mereka yang merupakan lantikan kementerian, kerajaan negeri, jabatan dan agensi,'' katanya.
Menurut Omar, ada di antara ketua jabatan dan agensi memberi alasan penamatan kontrak disebabkan bajet tidak cukup atau bajet tidak ada, prestasi tidak baik dan masalah kesihatan.
''Alasan tidak ada bajet, prestasi tidak baik, masalah kesihatan dan lain-lain lagi, alasan itu tidak boleh diterima. Sedangkan semasa Perdana Menteri membentangkan mini bajet sebelum ini jelas menyatakan bahawa kesemua pekerja kontrak tidak akan diberhentikan.
''Sepatutnya dalam keadaan sekarang, kita bantu mereka dan bukannya memberhentikan kerana kebanyakan mereka bekerja antara 10 tahun hingga 20 tahun, ke mana mereka ingin pergi apabila sudah jadi macam ini,'' katanya.
Tambah Omar, pihaknya juga akan mengemukakan cadangan kepada kerajaan supaya pekerja sektor awam dibenar mengeluarkan 10 peratus daripada pampasan perkhidmatan mereka bagi merancakkan semula aliran tunai dalam keadaan ekonomi semasa.

SARAVANAN PUBLISITIKAN DOKTOR CULAS DIKESALI

Utusan Malaysia
27/04/2009 5:18pm




KUALA LUMPUR 27 April — CUEPACS hari ini menyatakan rasa “kesal mendalam” terhadap cara Timbalan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk M. Saravanan menangani kes dua orang doktor Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) yang didapati “culas" bertugas.
Saravanan sepatutnya lebih berhati-hati dan diplomasi, daripada hanya menghebohkannya di akhbar, kata setiausaha agung CUEPACS, Ahmad Shah Md. Zin.
“Memang sebagai seorang ahli politik, beliau meraih beberapa poin, tapi siapa yang teraniaya?” tanya Ahmad Shah.
Beliau mengulas kejadian semalam di unit kecemasan hospital itu, di mana Saravanan “mengesan” seorang doktor sedang membaca surat khabar dan seorang lagi membuat kerja sendiri ketika ramai pesakit menunggu di luar.
Beliau berkata, walaupun CUEPACS tidak akan membiarkan kakitangan awam yang tidak menjalankan kerja dengan baik, tetapi dalam kes ini, adalah amat tidak adil bagi Saravanan menghebohkan kejadian itu yang mungkin merupakan hanya satu kes terpencil.
Ahmad Shah berkata, sebagai tanda beradab, Saravanan boleh membawa perkara itu kepada Pengarah hospital dan Menteri Kesihatan daripada menghebohkannya kepada media dan seluruh dunia. - Bernama

CUEPACS USAH HANYA TUNTUT GAJI - SURAT 1

Utusan Malaysia

28/4/2009

Tindakan Datuk M. Saravanan, Timbalan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan, memaklumkan kes doktor tidak bertanggungjawab yang melengahkan proses rawatan kepada media adalah tepat dan perlu disokong. Kenyataan CUEPACS yang kesal terhadap tindakan Timbalan Menteri itu adalah tidak wajar.
Sebagai rakyat biasa, saya masih tidak tahu apa yang dilakukan oleh CUEPACS untuk membetulkan disiplin dan menangani aduan rakyat tentang kakitangan awam.
Sekiranya kakitangan awam benar-benar bekerja dengan penuh dedikasi maka aduan seperti ini pastinya tidak akan timbul. Kerjaya sebagai doktor adalah dianggap profesional namun mereka turut ‘curi tulang’. Maka tidak hairanlah dan berkemungkinan besar sekiranya mereka yang menjawat jawatan lain seperti kerani, penyambut tetamu, pegawai dan sebagainya akan lebih ‘curi tulang’.
Apa yang diperjuangkan CUEPACS selama ini hanyalah menuntut kenaikan gaji dan pelbagai imbuhan lain. Tetapi rakyat yang membayar ‘gaji’ kakitangan kerajaan melalui cukai dan sebagainya sentiasa dilayan dengan buruk.
CUEPACS perlu sedar bahawa tuntutan tersebut perlu selari dengan kualiti kerja. Dalam hal ini, CUEPACS digesa turun padang, seterusnya menyediakan pasukan khas yang sentiasa memantau dengan kerap prestasi kakitangan kerajaan di bawah naungan mereka. Adakan lawatan mengejut dan ‘berlakon’ sebagai pelanggan supaya mereka tahu permasalahan sebenar yang dihadapi oleh rakyat.
Berdasarkan pengalaman berurusan dengan pihak hospital mahupun jabatan kerajaan, mutu yang diberikan terutamanya dari aspek layanan, kualiti perkhidmatan, budi bahasa dan khidmat pelanggan adalah rendah dan menyakitkan hati.
Mereka beranggapan pelanggan yang datang adalah satu beban dan tambahan kerja bagi mereka. Perlu diingat bahawa permasalahan sikap dan juga mutu kerja perkhidmatan awam sentiasa dipersoalkan oleh masyarakat.
Pengalaman peribadi saya juga menunjukkan bahawa jabatan ataupun agensi kerajaan ini akan lebih takut sekiranya kecuaian ataupun prestasi buruk mereka diketahui umum.
Beberapa bulan yang lalu saya ada menghantar beberapa teguran mengenai agensi kerajaan ke media dan telah disiarkan. Kesannya mereka dengan segera menelefon kembali dan memohon maaf atas segala kesulitan dan berusaha untuk memperbaiki perkhidmatan.
Saya juga ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk menyeru agar Menteri, Timbalan Menteri dan semua pemegang jawatan utama awam supaya selalu turun padang dan membuat pemeriksaan mengejut bagi mengetahui permasalahan yang dihadapi oleh pelanggan terhadap agensi atau jabatan yang mereka tadbir.
Dalam hal ini, kerajaan perlu sedar bahawa imej kerajaan adalah terletak di tangan pegawai-pegawai mereka yang berkhidmat di seluruh negara.
Sekiranya rakyat sudah hilang keyakinan, teguran dibiarkan sepi dan mereka sudah bosan dengan kerenah kakitangan kerajaan yang bermasalah ini, maka rakyat pasti akan menterjemahkan protes mereka di peti undi.
Ini amat merugikan kerajaan dan mencemarkan nama baik kakitangan lain yang bekerja dengan penuh tanggungjawab.


AZMI AHMAD
Pontian, Johor

OPINION : 'PROMOTING RTM IS FIRST PRIORITY'

NST

27/4/2009




Datuk Ibrahim Yahaya, the former chief news editor of Berita Harian, was appointed the Ministry of Information's director-general of broadcasting. Ibrahim talks to ARMAN AHMAD about his new job.

Q: You are the highest ranking civil servant to have been appointed directly. How do you feel about this?
A: It carries a lot of responsibility. I feel like I am an experiment. If this works out, then the government may take in more people straight into higher posts in the civil service. It's important that I do a good job.

Q: Your appointment was met with a protest by RTM staff who sent a memorandum to Cuepacs. Does this worry you?
A: Actually, there was talk that a PTD (administrative and diplomatic) officer would be appointed. I think that is why some people were unhappy when my appointment was announced. I'm not new in RTM. I have served as a media consultant to the ministry since 2005. I know most of the people in RTM. In fact most of them are my friends. They know I have the experience necessary for the job.

Q: Tell us something about your work in the media.
A: I joined Berita Harian in 1983 as a reporter and was the chief news editor when I left in 1996. Then I joined TV3 as deputy manager of the research division. I became manager of news and current affairs before I left in 1999.

Q: What is RTM's biggest challenge now? What does it need to do to be competitive with other TV stations as well as satellite TV.
A: RTM already has good products. What is needed is a lot of promotion and publicity. Currently, this is number three on our list. We have to give it number one priority. There are areas which need to be improved in terms of work attitude. Our staff need to develop themselves. What they can do today they have to do today and not wait until tomorrow to do it.

Q: RTM hires contract staff. Could this lead to problems?
A: Naturally, the contract workers have to work harder due to the nature of their terms. The demands of the newsrooms mean that extra people need to be employed (for a shorter period compared to permanent staff). It also means that we pay them higher salaries.

Q: What would you do to retain good people, especially since some of your good reporters have gone to the private sector.
A: Good people are hard to come by and they are in high demand. Unfortunately, because the salary scheme here is unattractive, we lose some of our news staff to the private sector. I am trying to get the Public Service Department to put reporters on a higher scale to retain them. We have to give the reporters due recognition. When we promote a good reporter, we take him out of his news beat and give him other duties. This shouldn't be the case. He should get a promotion and also be allowed to continue with his work.

Q: How will you address the opposition's complaint that it gets very little coverage on TV and even then it's negative coverage.
A: One of my objectives is to make RTM known as the national television station and not the government's TV station. In terms of fairness, of late we have given a lot of coverage to the opposition. Many of our shows like Dari Parlimen and dialog@1 are fair to both sides.

Q: What is RTM doing to upgrade itself as it prepares to go digital by 2012?
A: We are upgrading our human resources to cater for the increased amount of content. We are also expanding our engineering and technical units to cope with the expansion. We now have two digital channels, and we also have one televised by Astro known as Muzik TV. There are a lot of challenges ahead. When we go digital by 2012, we will have 19 channels. Astro has more than 100 channels.

NEWS FOCUS ON KPI: SETTING MEANINGFUL TERGETS KEY TO MAKING IT WORK

NST
26/4/2009




The men and women of the civil service will ultimately determine whether a ruling party’s policies succeed or fail.


Key performance indicators are metrics designed to evaluate how well an organisation performs in meeting its stated goals. Launching his '1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now' agenda, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that KPIs would be instituted for Cabinet-level positions as well as the civil service they command. YONG HUEY JIUN and SHERIDAN MAHAVERA examine the promise and potential pitfalls of KPIs in that context.

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's ambitious agenda to measure the performance of cabinet ministers with key performance indicators (KPIs) will require adaptability, resoluteness, a focused strategy and a steely determination to see it through.

The idea was greeted with "cautious optimism" at best, and cynicism at worst.

The Prime Minister's Department, appointed to oversee the formulation of these KPIs, is expected to face a series of challenges from the start.

Omar Mustapha, managing partner of consulting firm Ethos & Co, notes that "in business, it is pretty straightforward: as your stakeholders are the shareholders of the company, we can assume that shareholders are interested in the long-term financial success of the company".

But it's different with governments: "We need to start by understanding what is important for the country as well as the rakyat.

"Overall, this should be about making Malaysia a competitive and prosperous country that provides the rakyat with a high quality living environment, i.e. safe from crime, good healthcare access, etc.

"Various documents -- Vision 2020, the National Mission statement -- should be the guide for understanding national aspirations."

The government's KPIs, he says, "need to measure those metrics that have the most leverage in terms of impacting the identified national aspirations".

If, for example, the objective is to provide the rakyat with a quality living environment, what constitutes "quality" to the rakyat?

"It may be about improving public safety, better transport infrastructure, more affordable housing, better healthcare or cleaner environment."

The outcome KPI, therefore, must apply to the minister and government agencies concerned with this particular objective.

Omar cautions that there must not be too many KPIs, with a balance between near- and long-term goals, and between what is important for national competitiveness and what the rakyat wants. Getting the KPIs right, he warns, depends on setting meaningful targets.

"The worst thing that can happen is that the government publishes data that show that they have met their targets, but the rakyat knows this is incongruent with what is actually being experienced on the ground."

Critical to success, he says, is ensuring substance over form.

Omar itemises six criteria in this regard:

- Selecting KPIs that really matter;

- Setting targets for each KPI that is tied to national aspirations, as opposed to what is comfortable for the ministry to achieve;

- Supporting the KPIs with clear action plans;

- Ensuring integrity in performance reporting;

- Having clear consequences for non-performance; and,

- Developing clear communication and buy-in.

"Generally, you start from the top and then cascade down.

"This is the only way to have KPIs that are truly strategic and focused on key priorities."

He recommends that top management itself, i.e. ministers, deputies and secretaries-general, be involved in KPI development.

"The prime minister must be personally engaged in this process to ensure focus and attention is given to the priorities that truly matter, to how the government as a whole, will be measured and evaluated by the rakyat at the next general election."


At the mercy of civil servants

BELOW are true stories in dealing with the civil service.

* An Immigration Department officer openly contradicts official policy by refusing re-entry to a foreign maid because she had gone home during a 2004 amnesty for foreign workers.
When her employer tells the officer that the home minister had publicly guaranteed that workers like her could come back to work in Malaysia, the officer replies: "What the minister said is one thing but I have not received any new directives, so we will continue with the old policy."

* An illiterate man from Taiping tries to apply for a birth certificate and is shoved to Ipoh and Putrajaya, only to be told that he has to go back to get a sworn statement from his village head.
The man seeks help from his member of parliament, who tried in vain to get the document in time for the general election. The MP is then blamed for being inept.

* A man turns up at the Housing and Local Government Ministry's headquarters with a bag of garbage, dumps it in the foyer and stomps off.
He tells the shocked security guards that he is disgusted with not being able to get garbage collection services despite numerous complaints to the ministry.

In all these cases, asks former deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk M. Kayveas, who do you think gets blamed at the end of the day?

"The Barisan Nasional, even though we as ministers and deputies tried our best to make dealing with the government as people-friendly as possible."

The relationship between the civil service and political appointees such as ministers is complex.

So, when it comes to instituting KPIs on ministers and deputy ministers, Kayveas bluntly says it misses the point.

"A minister and his deputies' performance are very much dependent on the senior government officers and the civil servants below them.

"A minister can come up with brilliant ideas but if the implementers under him refuse to cooperate, those ideas will only remain as ideas.

"So how do you fairly rate a minister's performance? What kind of measures do you use that takes all this into consideration?"

And implementers can throw up a thousand and one barriers if they want to hamstring a minister.

Relating his experience, Kayveas tells of how a plan could not get off the ground quickly because the officer in charge was away on course.

When the officer returned, months were spent on getting a proper working paper drawn up.

More months passed before the necessary approvals were received.

"By the time we could really move ahead with it, the general election was already called."

The number one reason why great ideas do not get translated into working policies is because there is a yawning chasm in motivation and incentive between political appointees and civil servants.

Political appointees have to do their best because they can get dropped from the cabinet, they go through the mother of all assessments -- the general election.

In contrast, civil servants jobs are for the most part secure and effectively free of public scrutiny and appraisal.

This, Kayveas says, has turned the civil service's senior managers -- directors and secretaries-general -- into an exclusive cabal.

"There is a common saying among them: 'A minister comes and goes every five years but we stay forever.'

"There are brilliant officers but they are not given a chance to shine.

"They are often sidelined by either their superiors whose positions are threatened, or by their colleagues who fear that their performance would reflect badly on them."

In his opinion, the only way to ensure that the machinery performs is to replace directors and secretaries-general with elected politicians.

"At present, the elected party does not run the government. We allow civil servants to run it but it is the politician who has to face the people when there is a fire, a flood or when someone cannot get documents."

A KPI for political appointees may help the prime minister choose his cabinet, but it has little impact on the common folk who have to deal with the government every day.

Another set of KPI for the civil service's senior managers would also be pointless. Kayveas cites an example of how even the most derelict and scandalous officers are shielded from action by the "cabal".

"If you want improvement in how the government functions, put the politicians in charge."

CUEPACS WANTS 'TWO-WAY' EVALUATION SYSTEM

NST
26/4/2006



CUEPACS, the umbrella body of low-ranking workers in public-sector unions, wants the KPI for senior government officers such as directors, secretaries-general and their deputies to be based on how well they get along with their subordinates.
It is these officers, who ranked from "Grade 41 to the Chief Secretary", that can motivate the clerks, drivers, technicians and assistants, who made up the bulk of the government's machinery, to work well.Ultimately, it will also determine whether ministers or deputy ministers can achieve their own KPI."If clerks in a department do not give a 100 per cent in their jobs, the department does not perform at 100 per cent and the minister's KPI will not be attained," said Cuepacs president Omar Osman.To get the most out of the 950,000 staffers in the civil service, it is crucial that senior officers get along well with their subordinates, and the KPIs for these officers must recognise this.
Relations are easily soured when senior officers refuse to give their staff salary increments. Omar claims that there are about 50,000 union members who have never been promoted despite working in the same office for 30 years.In the public mind, it is these people who represent the listless civil servant showing up late for work because he runs a burger stall at night, and allows the stacks of application forms to pile up on his desk.But what is seldom recognised is that these are also the people who were passed over and over again for pay rise and promotion by senior officers, who are intent on rewarding those whom they liked."It is a welfare issue between the worker and the employer. If a worker does not get enough from his primary job, he may have to go out and find a supplementary income. "The worker's welfare is determined by the senior officer because the person who decides whether an employee gets an increment is this officer," said Omar.It is discouraging when senior officers neglect to hold the intra-departmental council meetings (majlis bersama jabatan) with their staff. Everything, from overtime schedules to training courses and disciplinary problems is meant to be discussed at the meetings, which were supposed to be held four times a year.The MBJ is compulsory, yet there are senior officers getting away with not holding them at all.The problem, Omar said, is the absence of supervision on the performance of senior officers, unlike for union members who are assessed by their superiors.It can even be argued that ministers and deputy ministers are also assessed by an independent entity -- the voters -- who judge them every five years in a general election."So when it comes to KPIs for these senior officers, the congress is urging the prime minister to include officer-subordinate relations as a component to ensure that they foster good working relationships with their staff, and that they hold the MBJs and act on their recommendations," said Omar."Most importantly, action must be taken against senior officers who fail in these areas."

MUMS T0 BE CAN GO ON LEAVE TWO TO WEEK

The Star
By SARBAN SINGH
24/4/2009




SEREMBAN: Mothers-to-be in the civil service can now begin their 60-day maternity leave two weeks prior to their due date. It takes effect on May 1.
They will only be required to submit a letter from their doctor stating their due date to obtain permission to go on leave earlier.
At present, they are only allowed to start their maternity leave from the day they give birth.
Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam said the new rule was among measures taken by the Government to improve the benefits for civil servants.
“The mother will be allowed to start her leave earlier but she must report to work once the 60 days are up,” he said in a circular.
Half of the country’s 1.1 million civil servants are women.
The Government had increased maternity leave from 42 to 60 days in April 1998.
They are also allowed up to 90 days’ unpaid leave after confinement to look after their babies. The benefits apply only up to the fifth child.
However, Cuepacs has been pressuring the Government to increase the leave to 84 days.
Its president, Omar Osman, had said that the extra days would be crucial for women, particularly those who undergo Caesarean births.
“Sixty days are insufficient for a mother, particularly if she has to undergo surgery, to recover and look after her baby. We hope the Government will consider this,” he said.
He said that alternatively, the Government should offer them half-month salary for six months after their two-month maternity leave was up.
Last September, the Government announced a new provision allowing mothers to apply for up to five years’ unpaid leave to look after their newborns.
To date, only the Selangor government has increased the maternity leave for its female employees from 60 to 90 days. Paternity leave has also been doubled from seven days to 14 days.

JPA TAK LAYAN TUNTUTAN CUEPACS

Berita Harian
23/4/2009




KUALA LUMPUR: Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) tidak akan melayan sebarang tuntutan dikemukakan Cuepacs khususnya yang membabitkan implikasi kewangan sehingga ekonomi negara benar-benar pulih dan mampu mengharungi cabaran akibat tempias krisis ekonomi dunia. Malah, tindakan supaya ditangguhkan dulu tuntutan itu sudah disuarakan kepada pemimpin Cuepacs ketika dialog antara kedua-dua pihak di Putrajaya 20 Mac lalu. Ketua Pengarah JPA, Tan Sri Ismail Adam, berkata delegasi diketuai Setiausaha Agung kongres itu, Ahmad Shah Mohd Zin juga bersetuju dengan permintaan untuk tidak memberi tekanan kepada kerajaan khususnya dalam isu kewangan selepas mengambil kira keadaan ekonomi negara.
“Adalah tidak wajar untuk Cuepacs membuat tuntutan pada masa ini yang boleh mendatangkan implikasi kewangan. “Tidak berbangkit isu berhubung apa-apa tuntutan boleh memberi tekanan kepada kerajaan khususnya dari aspek kewangan,” katanya ketika dihubungi di sini, semalam. Kelmarin, akhbar melaporkan Cuepacs percaya tuntutan supaya semua kakitangan menerima kadar Cola sama akan dipenuhi kerajaan.
Ahmad Shah dipetik sebagai berkata, Cuepacs mengharapkan pengumuman mengenainya dibuat ketika Sambutan Hari Pekerja Sektor Awam pada 14 Mei ini. Turut dilaporkan, Cuepacs bukan menuntut kenaikan kadar elaun, tetapi hak kakitangan awam untuk mendapat kadar Cola yang sama berbanding ketika ini diberikan mengikut kawasan kerja. Ismail berkata, isu Perdana Menteri akan mengumumkan berita gembira berhubung tuntutan kadar Cola tidak berbangkit kerana kedua-dua pihak sudah mencapai kata sepakat untuk tidak menyentuh lagi mana-mana tuntutan. Malah, katanya dialog bulan lalu hanya menyentuh isu mengkaji semula cadangan balas kongres itu mengenai PTK yang kini masih di peringkat penelitian jabatan.

BUKAN KALI PERTAMA RINTIHAN TERHADAP PTPTN

Utusan Malaysia

22/4/2009

KITA kerap kali dituntut agar menggunakan saluran yang betul dalam memberikan pandangan, membuat teguran, aduan, mahupun kritikan. Namun malangnya saluran berkenaan kerap kali pula tidak begitu berkesan. Bertindak hanya setelah ditegur melalui media telah menjadi sebahagian daripada budaya kerja masyarakat di negara kita, terutamanya di sektor- sektor kerajaan.
Yang terbaru adalah rintihan seorang pelajar yang bernama Naziatul Azlin daripada Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang.
Setelah membaca kisah sedihnya berkaitan kerenah birokrasi dan sikap sambil lewa kakitangan PTPTN, saya berasa cukup terharu, geram dan marah. Ini bukanlah kali pertama rintihan terhadap PTPTN diluahkan.
Saban tahun, Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Di Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) memperjuangkan kenaikan gaji dan pemberian bonus ahli-ahli mereka yang terdiri daripada kakitangan kerajaan. Maka seharusnya imbuhan yang mereka terima itu diterjemahkan dalam bentuk memberikan perkhidmatan terbaik kepada mereka yang memerlukan.
Mungkin kisah Naziatul Azlin ini adalah kisah yang tepencil. Namun sekiranya pihak kerajaan serius untuk menjayakan konsep 'Rakyat Didahulukan', maka kisah yang terpencil ini wajar ditangani dengan bijak agar kerajaan dan pemimpin yang ada pada hari ini tidak akan terus menjadi bahan momokan rakyat yang kononnya mereka semuanya cakap tidak serupa bikin .
Kepada pihak CUEPACS, hayatilah konsep 'Prestasi Diutamakan' terlebih dahulu sebelum membuat sebarang tuntutan kepada pihak kerajaan.


SEDIH DAN GERAM,
Terengganu

FOMCA ANJUR MINGGU TIDAK MENONTON TV

Berita Harian

22/4/2009




PETALING JAYA: Dalam usaha menggalakkan ibu bapa menghabiskan masa bersama anak mereka dengan melakukan aktiviti bermanfaat, Gabungan Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca) menganjurkan Minggu Tidak Menonton Televisyen di seluruh negara bermula semalam hingga 27 April ini. Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Fomca, Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, berkata program ini bukan bertujuan untuk menyalahkan televisyen tetapi satu daripada cara menyedarkan masyarakat bahawa banyak aktiviti bermanfaat perlu dilakukan bersama anak mereka seperti bersukan dan membaca. Beliau berkata, hasil penyelidikan Fomca mendapati tabiat menonton televisyen adalah faktor utama berlaku obesiti di kalangan masyarakat malah jika menonton terlalu lama akan menyebabkan wujudnya sikap suka menyendiri dan tidak banyak melakukan aktiviti fizikal.
“Malaysia adalah negara kedua di Asia yang menjalankan program ini selepas Jepun. Di Amerika Syarikat dan Eropah, ia bermula sejak 1995 dan mendapat sambutan sungguh menggalakkan. “Untuk permulaan, kita akan dilaksanakan program ini selama empat tahun dan ini sebahagian daripada aktiviti Kempen Konsumer Kebangsaan 2008-2012 yang dianjurkan bersama Majlis Belia Malaysia (MBM), Majlis Kebangsaan Pertubuhan Wanita (NCWO) dan Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (Cuepacs),” katanya pada pelancaran program itu di pejabat Fomca di sini, semalam.