Speech by Parliamentary Oppsition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, LiM Kit Siang, in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, July 23, 1991 on the Prime Minister’s Department on the 1990 and 1991 Supplementary Supply and Development estimates
Call on Government to fully respect the rights and interests of the PTA officers when absorbing the General Administrative Service (PTA) into the Administrative and Diplomatic Service (PTD)
The three-year problem of the absorption of the General Administrative Service (PTD) officers into the Diplomatic and Administrative Service (PTD) to unify and restructure the civil service had still to be satisfactorily resolved despite the establishment of a special committee headed by former Education Director-General, Tan Sri Murad Mohamed Nor early last year.
I understand that the Government has taken the decision to proceed with the absorption of the PTA officers into the PTD, which has failed to take into account the main complaints and grievances of the PTA officers, as represented by the PTA Officers Association (PERTAM).
I would urge the Government to fully respect the rights and interests of the PTA officers in the exercise to unify and restructure the civil service, as a discontented and dissatisfied civil service cannot upgrade either government efficiency of fulfil the rising expectations of the people.
The greatest objections of the PTA officers are that the Public Service Department treat the PTA as ‘subordinate’ to the PTD, and that in the absorption and unification exercise, the 1,400 PTA officers would lose out in terms of seniority, promotion prospects and career advancement opportunities.
PERTAM has said that there had been no progress in the talks with the PTD and the PSD on the absorption exercise as the PTD and the PSD had refused to compromise with the PTA requests.
If this PTA-PTD problem is not satisfactorily resolved, civil service standards will suffer great under the Sixth Malaysia Plan as well as the Second Outline Perspective Plan.
PERTAM has put up a strong case for the PTA officers.