Walaupun masih muda, contoh Tuan Mohd Harizz Amirul boleh dicontohi (also in English)

Apabila Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengumumkan kenaikan gaji penjawat awam, saya menyokong langkah tersebut, walaupun saya memahami sentimen sebahagian masyarakat yang berpendapat bahawa penjawat awam tidak sepatutnya diberikan kenaikan gaji.

Pandangan saya ini terbentuk hasil pengalaman peribadi hampir 30 tahun yang lalu, ketika saya menyertai sebuah syarikat dari Amerika Syarikat, Union Carbide, yang membekalkan emulsi polimer kepada pengeluar cat antarabangsa seperti ICI, Jotun dan Nippon. Sebelum itu, syarikat berkenaan berada di bawah pengurusan seorang ketua eksekutif yang kurang mengambil berat tentang kebajikan pekerja. Apabila saya menyertai syarikat tersebut sebagai pengurus makmal, gaji saya hanyalah sekitar RM2,700 sebulan. Namun, selepas penyelarasan gaji dibuat oleh pengurusan baharu, gaji saya meningkat kepada sekitar RM4,500, satu jumlah yang boleh dianggap agak tinggi pada pertengahan tahun 1990-an.

Apa yang lebih penting daripada penyelarasan gaji itu sendiri ialah perubahan budaya kerja. Ketua eksekutif baharu bukan sahaja menambah baik imbuhan, malah turun padang meninjau keadaan kilang dan makmal secara berkala untuk memastikan keadaan kerja kita terjaga.  Pada suatu hari, beliau memberitahu semua pengurus bahawa kerusi kami akan digantikan dengan kerusi eksekutif—dengan harga sekitar RM3,000 seunit. Mesejnya jelas: pekerja dihargai, dan kebajikan mereka diutamakan.

Gaji dan faedah diselaraskan mengikut kadar pasaran industri sebaya industri kami supaya pekerja tidak terdorong untuk berpindah ke syarikat lain. Fokus kami menjadi satu—untuk melakukan yang terbaik demi kesejahteraan syarikat. Pendekatan ini membuahkan hasil. Produk baharu berjaya dibangunkan dan makmal kami diiktiraf oleh Pegawai Eksekuti tertinggi di Asia Tenggara kerana pertama kali kami berjaya membekalkan kepada ICI emuisi polimer yang unggul dalam kuantiti beberapa tanker setiap minggu.

Berdasarkan pengalaman tersebut, saya benar‑benar bersetuju dengan tindakan Perdana Menteri menaikkan gaji penjawat awam. Namun, pada masa yang sama, saya juga memahami kekecewaan orang awam terhadap prestasi sebahagian penjawat awam. 

Masih berlaku situasi di mana panggilan dibuat berkali-kali, nombor telefon ditinggalkan, tetapi panggilan maklumbalas langsung tidak dibuat selepas dua atau tiga minggu—atau mungkin langsung tidak akan dibalas langsung. Apabila dihubungi semula, alasan yang diberikan sering kali “sedang dalam mesyuarat”, seolah-olah keperluan orang awam berada di tempat kedua. Inilah antara punca mengapa ada pihak sukar menerima penyelarasan gaji penjawat awam, walaupun hakikatnya kenaikan ini telah lama tertangguh. Sering disebut bahawa penjawat awam hanya menerima gaji buta. Namun, harus ditegaskan bahawa bukan semua penjawat awam bersikap sedemikian.

Dalam tempoh hampir 40 tahun saya berurusan dengan penjawat awam, saya mendapati bahawa mereka yang benar-benar prihatin dan bertanggungjawab ibarat permata dalam cincin berlian—amat jarang ditemui, namun sangat berharga. Salah satu contoh yang ingin saya kongsikan ialah pengalaman saya berhubung dengan seorang penjawat awam di Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Yangon pada pagi ini. Sebenarnya, saya telah menghantar e‑mel kepada tiga orang pegawai kerana tidak pasti siapa yang akan memberi maklum balas.

Daripada ketiga-tiganya, Tuan Mohd Harizz Amirul Ahmad Fazir,

Setiausaha Ketiga di Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Yangon, bukan sahaja membalas e‑mel saya, malah mengambil inisiatif untuk menghubungi seorang informan saya berhubung seorang anak muda Malaysia yang terperangkap di kawasan pusat penipuan (scam) yang baru-baru ini dikepung oleh pihak berkuasa Myanmar. Sebelum menyampaikan sebarang maklumat, beliau terlebih dahulu mengesahkan dengan informan sama ada dakwaan bahawa kes tersebut akan dibawa ke mahkamah merupakan berita yang sahih. Setelah memastikan bahawa maklumat tersebut tidak tepat, beliau memaklumkan bahawa pihak Kedutaan tidak menerima sebarang notifikasi berhubung prosiding mahkamah. Sebaliknya, anak muda tersebut tersenarai dalam kumpulan 31 orang warga Malaysia yang akan dibawa pulang ke tanah air. Berita ini membawa kelegaan dan kegembiraan yang amat besar kepada ibu anak tersebut, yang kini mengetahui bahawa anaknya berada dalam keadaan selamat dan akan pulang dalam masa terdekat.

Pada masa yang sama, Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Yangon turut menjalinkan kerjasama rapat dengan Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Bangkok serta pihak Imigresen Thailand bagi membolehkan warga Malaysia ini pulang melalui laluan darat merentasi negara Thailand. Menurut Tuan Harizz, kaedah ini jauh lebih menjimatkan berbanding perjalanan melalui udara, sekali gus dapat mengurangkan kos keseluruhan proses penghantaran pulang. Saya berharap agar mereka semua akan kembali ke Malaysia dengan tekad untuk memulakan kehidupan baharu.

Beliau juga menunjukkan kepekaan yang tinggi terhadap kos panggilan antarabangsa yang mahal ke Yangon serta kegusaran ibu bapa yang terbabit. Oleh itu, beliau memaklumkan kepada informan saya bahawa panggilan WhatsApp dibuat menggunakan telefon bimbit peribadinya, dan ahli keluarga boleh menghubungi beliau secara terus sekiranya terdapat sebarang pertanyaan lanjut.

Inilah contoh seorang penjawat awam yang bukan sahaja menjalankan tugas, tetapi melaksanakannya dengan empati, profesionalisme dan keazaman. Beliau telah membuktikan bahawa dirinya memiliki Kecerdasan Emosi (EQ) yang tinggi, sesuatu yang penting untuk membolehkannya berempati dengan mereka yang telah diperdagangkan ke Myanmar dan dipaksa menjalankan kegiatan penipuan. Inilah juga sebabnya saya percaya bahawa kenaikan gaji penjawat awam, apabila disertai dengan akauntabiliti dan budaya kerja yang betul, merupakan satu pelaburan kepada negara—bukan satu pembaziran.

Etika kerja Harizz dan rakan-rakan kerjanya di Kedutaan Besar Yangon yang baik wajar dicontohi! Tujuan penulisan saya ini adalah untuk merangsangkan lebih ramai penjawat awam bertekad untuk membantu mereka yang paling memerlukan bantuan. 

ENGLISH

When Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the salary increase for civil servants, I supported the move, even though I understand the sentiment among some segments of society who believe that civil servants should not be given a pay raise.

My view is shaped by personal experience from nearly 30 years ago, when I joined an American company, Union Carbide, which supplied polymer emulsions to international paint manufacturers such as ICI, Jotun, and Nippon. Prior to that, the company was managed by a chief executive who paid little attention to employee welfare. When I joined the firm as a laboratory manager, my salary was only around RM2,700 per month. However, after a salary adjustment implemented by the new management, my pay increased to approximately RM4,500, a figure that was considered relatively high in the mid‑1990s.

What was more important than the salary adjustment itself was the change in work culture. The new chief executive not only improved remuneration but also made a point of regularly going on the ground to inspect conditions in the factory and laboratory to ensure a proper working environment. One day, he informed all managers that our chairs would be replaced with executive chairs—each costing around RM3,000. The message was clear: employees were valued, and their welfare was a priority.

Salaries and benefits were aligned with prevailing market rates in comparable industries so that employees would not be tempted to leave for other companies. Our collective focus became singular—to do our best for the wellbeing of the company. This approach yielded tangible results. New products were successfully developed, and our laboratory was recognised by the company’s top executive in Southeast Asia after we managed, for the first time, to supply superior polymer emulsions to ICI in quantities of several tanker loads each week.

Based on this experience, I genuinely support the Prime Minister’s decision to raise civil servants’ salaries. At the same time, however, I understand the public’s frustration with the performance of some civil servants.

There are still situations where calls are made repeatedly, phone numbers are left behind, yet no return call is made after two or three weeks—or sometimes none at all. When follow‑up calls are made, the response given is often that the officer is “in a meeting,” as though public needs are secondary. This is one of the reasons why some find it difficult to accept salary adjustments for civil servants, even though such adjustments have long been overdue. It is often said that civil servants receive “salary without work.” (the Malay term used is 'gaji buta.') That said, it must be emphasised that not all civil servants behave this way.

Over the course of nearly 40 years dealing with civil servants, I have found those who are truly caring and responsible to be like a jewel set in a diamond ring—extremely rare, yet immensely valuable. One such example I would like to share is my experience this morning when contacting a civil servant at the Embassy of Malaysia in Yangon. In fact, I sent emails to three officers, as I was unsure who would respond. 

Among the three, Mr Mohd Harizz Amirul Ahmad Fazir, Third Secretary

of the Malaysian Embassy in Yangon, not only replied to my email but also took the initiative to contact one of my informants concerning a Malaysian youth who was trapped in a scam compound that had recently been surrounded by Myanmar authorities. Before conveying any information, he first verified with my informant whether reports that the case would be brought to court were accurate. After confirming that the information was not credible, he informed the my friend that the Embassy had received no notification of any court proceedings for this young man. Instead, he was listed among 31 Malaysian nationals who would be repatriated to Malaysia. This news brought immense relief and joy to the young man’s mother, who now knew that her child was safe and would be returning home soon.

At the same time, the Malaysian Embassy in Yangon was working closely with the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok and Thai Immigration authorities to facilitate the return of these Malaysians via land travel through Thailand. According to Mr Harizz, this method is far more economical than air travel and would significantly reduce the overall repatriation costs. I hope that all of them will return to Malaysia with the determination to begin new lives.

He also demonstrated a high level of sensitivity toward the high cost of international calls to Yangon as well as the anxiety faced by the parents involved. As such, he informed my informant that WhatsApp calls could be made to his personal mobile phone, and that family members could contact him directly should they have any further questions.

This is an example of a civil servant who does not merely perform his duties, but carries them out with empathy, professionalism, and determination. He has demonstrated himself to have high Emotional Quotient (EQ) which is important for him to empatise with those who were trafficked to Myanmar to do the scammer's job. This is also why I believe that salary increases for civil servants, when accompanied by accountability and the right work culture, represent an investment in the nation—rather than a waste. 

Harizz's good work ethics is worth emulating! The purpose of this writing is to encourage more civil servants to be determined to help those who are most in need of assistance.

My informant and I agree one thing about Tuan Harizz: he has high emontional quotient (EQ) which is importnat for his kind of work, as he is dealing with fellow human beings, not disposable shoes.