THE Auditor-General’s observation that many senior public managers are being promoted despite audit findings of mismanagement and perhaps even possible corruption has been a wake-up call of sorts.

In response, the Chief Secretary (SC) to the Government, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, has reassured that the situation will change. He has in recent months made several key changes or observations about the performance of civil servants that is quite reassuring.

He is personally leading the charge to see the red tape is cut to the core. The members of the Special Task Force (Pemudah) set up to slash red tape is impressed with his commitment to see the changes suggested.

Finally, the public managers are being pressured to perform and to account for their performance.

The Selangor Mentri Besar has given this thrust to enforce administrative accountability at the state level a more public and a colourful face.

His state civil servants wear coloured badges (green – good, yellow – satisfactory and red – unsatisfactory) that show their performance as managers as part of a performance scorecard introduced to assess the administrators’ performance.

This combination of changes to exert accountability for performance, if sustained, will force a change in the administrative habitat.

The Government, though recognising the importance of the civil servants to its performance, has been rather too compassionate with them. It is time to make civil servants explain their performance.

Rank or position does not directly indicate level of performance. It merely indicates extent of responsibility shouldered. Adding performance to responsibility provides a balanced account of the competence of civil servants.

PROF HAZMAN SHAH ABDULLAH,

Universiti Teknologi MARA,

Shah Alam, Selangor.

Source: The Star – January 24, 2008