10
INTERVIEWS VIEWS
PUBLIC relations has become
the buzzword at government
agencies but for them, it
means organising roadshows,
what to put into goodie bags
and how many T-shirts to
print. They should be turning
to the “letters to the editors”
pages and addressing the
people’s complaints.
The challenge is to get people
who are proactive, and among
the 1.2 million civil servants
many are proactive. I believe that
some of the people in the public
service can do well in the private
sector, maybe even better.
According to (co-chairman)
Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon, the people
in Pemudah are even better than
some in the private sector. So,
here, where PR is concerned it’s
all about being proactive.
Are people in the service al-
lowed to show their potential?
Their enthusiasm is cut short
by superiors who are more
comfortable with the old way
of doing things.
Conversations
CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT AND
CO-CHAIRMAN OF PEMUDAH TAN SRI MOHD
SIDEK HASSAN IS ON A MISSION TO MAKE THE
CIVIL SERVICE MORE PEOPLE FRIENDLY. HE
TALKS TO R. NADESWARAN AND TERENCE
FERNANDEZ ON THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNICATING TO THE PUBLIC.
That’s the beauty of the govern-
ment; this prime minister and the
previous PM encourage empower-
ment.
I don’t check with the PM all the
time on certain things because he
has empowered me to make the
best decisions.
But civil servants must have the
confidence to act on their own
without waiting for clearance
theSun
from the top over simple mat-
ters.
That’s why in golf there’s such a
thing called local rules. So we also
have our own conventions. In each
department, if this rule exists, you
follow (them), but don’t allow rules
to prevent people from doing their
best. That’s why I like to promote
mentoring.
The other question is how many
Getting the
message across
bosses like yourself will allow
their subordinates to be em-
powered, proactive and think
for themselves without (the
bosses) feeling threatened.
All! You must allow them to
grow. I advise and that’s bilat-
eral. It’s the value of openness.
I can say I don’t agree with
something but you will not feel
uncomfortable. That is the value
of connectivity. For example,
when you complain about visa
or passport issues, when I write
to the director-general of im-
migration, I will copy to you. So
when I communicate with him,
I will cc a copy to you so that you
know what’s happening and can
also interject if we are going the
wrong way.
When you send a message to
someone, you must keep eve-
ryone else in the loop. So I will
forward mail to all the relevant
agencies and individuals. This is
what corporate governance is all
about. One person can do many
things, and yet keep everyone
else in the loop.
If 50% of your KSUs (ministry
secretaries-general) can talk
or operate like you, then we
are on the right track. Your
problems are solved. Most
times when people complain
to us we don’t want to disturb
you, but unfortunately things
only get moving if it is copied
to you.
We have quite a number
of officials like me. (Domestic
Trade and Consumer Affairs
Ministry secretary-general)
Datuk Mohd Zain (Mohd Dom)
is like me. You go and deal with
him and see. If the deputy secre-
tary-general is doing the work
without bothering the secretary-
general then why should the
secretary-general be bothered or
threatened, as long as he is kept
in the loop? It’s better for him
| THURSDAY JUNE 11 2009
because he is not encumbered
(with extra work).
Are we being double billed
as there are internal PR de-
partments but here we are
appointing consultants and
outsourcing PR to the private
sector.
Former MITI (Ministry of
International Trade and Indus-
try) minister Tan Sri Rafidah
Aziz had no press secretary bar
one. She allowed us to speak our
minds ... and this from a minister
whom many say was “control-
ling”. Because of her, we made
sure we knew the subject.
This is what I’m trying to
say, we all take charge of our
communications, the minister,
the secretary-general, the deputy
minister … you take charge of
your communications just like
her. It’s a new process for many
and sometimes we need to learn
from outsiders.
Tan Sri, you were from MITI
so that culture followed you
and everyone is on the same
page. But, for example, look
at the Health Ministry dur-
ing the H1N1 scare. At least
brief the media on the scan-
ners and how the detection
is done so that when you
talk to reporters, we know
how it works. Here they are
waiting for the director-gen-
eral to come and regurgitate
information. How do we get
around this?
When I joined the civil service
in 1974, the principle was “need
to know”. Only when you need
to know you must know. When
you know more than you need
to know, tak boleh!
Now it’s “you better know!”
If you don’t know you will be
in trouble. When you go for a
meeting you cannot say “I don’t
come from that department or