The power structure is synonymous to the feudal system in medieval Europe When dealing with Malaysia’s civil service, members of the public often find themselves asking a simple question: Who are these public servants actually serving? To understand the friction between the general public and the civil service, one must look closely at how the system is structured, how power flows, and why the concept of "customer service" seems to be missing from the administrative vocabulary. 1. A Top-Down Structure: Serving Bosses, Not the People The Malaysian civil service operates predominantly on a rigid, top-down management structure. At its core, civil servants operate under the implicit understanding that their primary allegiance is to their Director Generals, Department Heads, and Ministers — not to the public standing at the counter or waiting for an application approval. Having adopted survivalist tactics to endure shifting regimes, they have perfected the art of ...
I had wanted to write this piece earlier, but time did not permit as I was too tied down with a coffee table book project. It is heartening to learn that both the Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister are back in action, even though they were supposed to be on medical leave. While Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim opted for laparoscopic surgery to treat a para-umbilical hernia, hardly anyone knew about it at the time. Meanwhile, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof underwent an important heart bypass surgery—the complications of which I only learned about from a senior civil servant in Sarawak. It was gratifying that the IJN team was ultimately willing to carry out the complex procedure. During this period, I believe many people were praying for the surgeons’ hands to ensure a successful outcome. Malaysia is truly blessed to have exceptionally skilled heart surgeons capable of managing even the most complex conditions. Where our loved ones once had to travel thousands of kilome...