KUCHING: Disciplinary issues among civil servants must be identified and addressed early through more effective monitoring and supervision.

Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki emphasised that preventive measures and early intervention are crucial, as the disciplinary cases reported to him span various categories including financial problems, drug abuse and absenteeism.

“For me, preventive measures are vital. Any disciplinary issue must be resolved at an early stage, we must not allow it to escalate before taking action to address the problem,” he said.

He said this while speaking at a dinner held in conjunction with an engagement session between the Sarawak Public Service Commission (PSC), the Sarawak Civil Service (SCS) and Sarawak local authorities here on Thursday.

He further explained that the responsibility for handling disciplinary issues does not rest solely with the individual who committed the offense, it also requires supervisors to be vigilant and firm in ensuring that monitoring is carried out consistently.

Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar also questioned the effectiveness of the existing supervisory system, citing instances where absenteeism persisted for over 1,000 days without being addressed sooner.

“Just imagine, someone failing to show up for work for more than 1,000 days. Is there any supervision at all? There must be something wrong with the supervision,” he remarked.

Also present were Sarawak Attorney-General Dato Sri Saferi Ali, Sarawak PSC Chairman Datu Kameri Affandi and various heads of departments. -UKASnews

Prepared By: Grace John Lee
Photo: Ameerul Syafiq Khir
Translator: Nerissa Sia