PUTRAJAYA: Although administrators in the civil service may have their own political stands, they should stay neutral in their work and be loyal to the government of the day to ensure that the country’s administration can run smoothly, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
The prime minister said this is in line with the system of democracy practised in the country where the government of the day is elected by the people.
He said it is not easy for officers to shift their loyalty to a government helmed by a new party after serving 61 years under a government from a different party, but it can be done if the new government runs the country fairly and justly.
Dr Mahathir said “divided” loyalty among government officers would not contribute to the smooth administration of the country.
“If the country is not administered well, not only will the country lose but we will also lose,” he said at a “Government Officers with the Prime Minister” gathering here.
He said the previous government which administered the country for 61 years was changed by the people because it committed mistakes and took inappropriate actions.
“If that had not happened, the people would not have chosen another government. It is not so much that the people supported the opposition parties challenging the ruling party but it is the many mistakes committed by the ruling party that caused the people to reject it,” he said.
Touching on the issue of loyalty, Dr Mahathir said the country also faced a similar situation during its early days of independence when many people did not trust in the ability of local people to administer the country.
But Malaysia had proven that the local people could run the country better than the British colonialists, he said.
“This proves it is not true that we don’t have the ability but it is just that we were not given the chance during British time,” he said.
Dr Mahathir also said the current government might give new instructions but the instructions need not be followed if they are against the law.
“If they are in accordance with legal provisions, it is the responsibility of administrators to implement the instructions and policies because this is the way of democracy,” he added. – Bernama
