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Call for  a White Paper for Parliament next month on a strategy to restore a multi-racial civil service, police and armed forces with annual targets for the next three years


Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang

(Penang,  Thursday): Transparency International Malaysia President Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim deserves full support for his call for an immediate review of the imbalance in the civil service, police and armed forces as the current situation should not be allowed to continue. 

Referring to the  perception that the civil service is only intended for bumiputeras and that non-bumiputeras are only tolerated, he said: “This may not be true, but this perception has been developed over the years, not without some justification. It is a great pity.” 

Vision 2020 envisages a Bangsa Malaysia  in a 30-year span from 1991, but some half-way through the 30-year vision, the civil service has become the symbol of the very opposite of a Bangsa Malaysia, failing to reflect the multi-racial composition of the nation and what is even worse, the situation getting worse with every year. 

Why, for instance, has there not been a single non-Malay appointed as a Vice Chancellor in the public universities for over three decades – when several have become Vice Chancellors in distinguished universities overseas? 

The problem of the worsening of multi-racial representation in the public services should not be allowed to deteriorate any further, and a halt must be made with a pro-active strategy to reverse the whole process. 

This issue is in fact more important and urgent than the proposal to introduce a National Service for youths, for the lopsided composition of the civil service, police and armed forces stands as  a stark illustration  of the government failure to lead by example to integrate the different races in the country in the public services – sending out the wrong message for any national service programme. 

It is most regrettable that the Cabinet Ministers from all the Barisan Nasional parties have neglected this serious national problem, allowing it to become more and more aggravated and intractable over the years without any check or remedy.   

DAP calls on the Cabinet to present   a White Paper when  Parliament reconvenes  next month on a national strategy to restore a multi-racial civil service, police and armed forces with annual targets for the next three years, which should be debated and approved by Parliament – sending out a clear and unmistakable message of the government’s seriousness and commitment to  rectify the imbalances in the public services.

(1/5/2003)


* Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman