Unhappy::Retired Officer's Promotion to DG of Health Questioned

Promotion opportunities lost
By R.M. Petaling Jaya


IT has become almost the norm to extend the tenures of senior government officers beyond retirement. In recent years, the most senior positions in a number of ministries have been held by those whose services were extended one or two years. Even the head of the Public Service Department had his term extended.

Last year, the Government announced an extension for the Chief Secretary, the most senior civil service position.

The reason given was that since the country was entering the Ninth Malaysia Development Plan period, the extension would ensure a smooth transition into the next plan. The most disconcerting one must be the recent announcement that a retired government servant, under contract, was promoted to the post of director-general of Health. This is unprecedented.

All previous extensions have been immediately after a civil servant completes his term. And, the normal offer for re-employment has always been one grade lower or, in special cases, in the same grade.

In this case, a deputy director-general who officially retired last year collected his gratuity and pension, but continued to serve under contract in the same capacity, was appointed to take over as the new director-general, a post two grades higher than his contracted position!

His appointment also established another precedent: It was announced by the Health Minister. Until then, appointments and promotions to top civil service positions had always been announced by the Chief Secretary.

One wonders why such extensions are necessary. Following a major review not too long ago, the Government said it did not wish to raise the mandatory retirement age of civil servants.

The present trend suggests a lack of effort or failure to groom capable second-echelon officers to step into the shoes of senior officers when they retire.

Retaining retiring civil servants in top positions deprives those due for promotion of opportunities. The appointment and promotion of government servants, especially to the top posts, ought to be fair and transparent.

Top positions should be announced and appointments made before the outgoing officer retires. It is important that promotions to top positions are announced well in advance to permit a smooth transition.


---NST

The above is a letter published in the NST today. The sentiments expressed by the letter writer is probably shared by the others. The promotion of our new DG of Health was unprecedented. He was no less a former deputy DG of Health who was on contract re-employment after reaching retirement age. This officer was appointed as DG on 3rd March. The announcement regarding the appointment was made by the MINIster of Health instead of the Chief Secretary of the gomen, this announcement was made on 20th March 2005 and reported in the media.
When the retirement of the preceding DG, Tan Sri Dr Mohamad Taha Arif, was imminent; those inline for promotion upwards must having been 'counting their chicken', the unprecented appointment of the new DG must have come as a blow to them. The loss of money and prestige and associated power may cause much unhappiness. What is worrisome of this unprecedented appointment is that it may set a precedence for future such unprecedented appointments and their resultant unhappiness of those inline officers.
As mentioned in the above letter, many retired officers have been reappointed but usually not to the top of the ladder. Even then such re-employment on contract basis has resulted often in an uneasy atmosphere in the department. Things such as whether the old boss gets to sit in his old office, will the old boss be annoyed when ordered to do things but the newly installed boss (who incidentally would probably be his former subordinate in the department), will theri previous relationships cause friction in the new set up? The MOH is presently in the process of introducing the National Health Financing Scheme any cockup in the MOH may affect its proper implementation. One of the reason for the unprecedented appointment, many think, has to do with the NHFS. The MOH has kept the NHFS shrouded in mystery as far as the public is concerned and just like the most recent fuel price hike, it would be suddenly thrusted upon us.
The MOH owes the public as well as those who were inline for promotion an explanation for the unprecedented appointmentof the new DG of Helath. The gomen is known to work in mysterious ways but there should be a minimum of such unprecedented appointments.