GMGA 2023 PUBLIC POLICY

SEMESTER 1 SESSION 2023/2024

(A231)

GROUP B

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT (15%)

PREPARED TO:
DR. NUR FARIHA BINTI MOHD NOOR

PREPARED BY:
MUHAMMAD JARAWLI BIN ABDUL NASIFF
(279595)
INTRODUCTION

Bureaucracy in Malaysia was developed after the Second World War, especially after

independence with the help of the colonial government. Malaysia's bureaucratic system is founded

on intricate and antiquated regulations. A person employed by a bureaucracy, typically in an

officer or administrative capacity, is known as a bureaucrat. Implementing and upholding the laws,

rules, and policies of the company or government they work for is the responsibility of

bureaucrats. A system of administration and management with multiple levels or procedures,

frequently connected to different fields and rules, is referred to as bureaucracy (Azzanawawy,

2023).

One of a bureaucrat's primary traits is their administrative position as a civil servant

managing the day-to-day operations of a company, government agency, or other establishment.

They might be in charge of things like making decisions, maintaining records, and implementing

policies. The second quality that clarifies why a government worker must function inside the

parameters of established policies and procedures is adherence to procedures. To guarantee

impartiality and consistency in their choices and actions, they adhere to established procedures.

Third, civil workers frequently operate in a hierarchical setting, overseeing lower-level employees

and answering to higher-ranking officials. The organization's hierarchy aids in preserving

accountability and order.

Next, civil officers must have an impartial disposition and behave equitably towards all

people. Objective standards should ideally guide decisions and activities rather than subjective

judgements, which lead to specialization. Public employees may focus on a particular area of

expertise, adding to the organization's overall performance. Increased productivity and labor

division are made possible by this specialization. Even though bureaucrats are essential to the

way institutions operate, the phrase is occasionally used negatively to characterize people who
are thought to be unduly preoccupied with following rules and regulations, possibly at the

sacrifice of adaptability or creativity.

DEFINITION

A public official is someone who has been legally elected or appointed to hold a position

and who carries out government functions (Merriam Webster, 2023). Generally refers to

individuals who hold positions in public organizations and are tasked with carrying out official

duties on behalf of the public. Public officials can be found at various levels of government,

including local, regional and national levels.

These individuals are usually appointed or elected to their positions and are responsible

for upholding and implementing laws, policies and regulations that serve the public interest.

According to Kwon (2018), public officials focus their services on the people and are more

sensitive to the opinions and movements of community members. Civil servants can work in various

government agencies, departments or branches, and their roles can range from administration and

management to law enforcement and the judiciary.

The specific responsibilities and powers of public officials can vary depending on the

nature of their position and the legal and administrative framework of the jurisdiction in which

they serve. For example, public officials include elected officials such as mayors, governors and

legislators, civil servants, law enforcement officers, judges and other government officials involved

in the delivery of public services. This point is stated in the Constitution that civil servants will serve

the country and the public for as long as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong allows. According to

Shamrahayu (2015), the implementation of responsibilities by civil servants is also one of the

factors that determine the length or shortness of a government elected by the people.
DISCUSSION

ADVANTAGE AND FUCNTION

After independence of Malaysia in 1957 the Prime Minister department (PMD) are formed. It was

one of the important agency in Malaysia Malaysian Civil Service to replace the Office of the Secretary to

the Government and former Chief Secretary’s Office. Under this agency the Prime Minister department

place and also tasked several of the key agencies in order to coordinate the policymaking process.

Among the agencies under the Prime Minister department involve include the Public Servant

Department (PSD), Economic Planning Unit (EPU), the Implementation and Coordination Unit (ICU),

Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) and the National

Institute of Public Administration (INTAN). However, in this discussion we will discussion elaborate first

about important unit or key Agencies in the Civil service that involve in social, economy as well as the

political interest before we go through to the roles, responsibilities and the advantage of public officers.

The Economic Planning Unit (EPU) is the central agency for public service that assigned to plan and

manage the long-term as well as the short-term development. This unit are do some important task

which is provide advice for the government about the development issues and goals and play a visible

roles like making midterm review and preparing Malaysia’s 5 year development plan as the Malaysian

formulation development plan. This agency as played their roles for public service context and

development and improvement of Malaysian administration and governance. Among the prominent key

roles which is the implementation of New Economic Policy and later is New Development Policy (NDP)

after it was improved to ensure it will be adapted with present demand and need. However in the last

few years it was become important in administering and planning development agendas such as the

National Transformation agenda and the latest on in Malaysia is Shared Prosperity Vision as a
commitment to make Malaysia achieves sustainable growth along with fair and equitable distribution,

across regions, ethnicities, supply chains and income groups

Public Service Department (PSD) is the central recruitment agency that responsible to hire

competent personal and some who capable to civil service or as a public officer. Furthermore, the PSD

also assigned to determine the terms and conditions for public officer selection and also produce,

administrate the various grades and schemes in the service. PSD also responsible on providing and

enhancing the building in civil service such as assessing and charting officer’s career development,

evaluate and promote salary and other benefits like retirement or allowances, as well as review the

manpower need in public servant.

Next, Implementation and Coordination unit (ICU) also an agency under PMD that pivotal in public

service. This agency was established since 1969. ICU was set up to assume the role of coordinator

monitor for the public projects and programmes (Ahmad, Mansor, &Ahmad, 2003). The agency are

mandate to ensure the programmes and project are made in the efficiency way by providing

mechanisms for project and programmes supervision and implementation.

Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMU) as an initiative

in 1960s to reform public sector in Malaysia. From this agency they able to invigorate new and innovative

administrative idea in terms of personnel management as well as overall management with four

operating roles which is state and local administration, personnel administration and training, financial

administration and planning budgetary and last one is management service. (Esman, 1972). MAMPU also

aim to modernise the Malaysian administration and provide new and good idea and management in civil

service by improve work processes and develop latest system to meet the change of demand and

suitable in present.
 The National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN) as the unit or agency under public service

that tasked to train and search unit. For example the new administrative and diplomatic officers are

trained here at the INTAN. This institute also train the public officers at all level of the public service in

Malaysia. This all agencies that stated above is bring the change and contribute in development of the

bureaucracy.

Civil servants or called as bureaucrats are part of the executive body that was tasked to help the

implementation of the national administration. These bureaucrats are divided into two. Representative

bureaucrats, which are elected and appointed through a method involving the participation pf the public

in government. They also chosen to represent the interest of diverse group in policy formulation and

implementation processes. While the second type of bureaucrats is street-level bureaucrats such as the

frontline workers or policy implementers in government agencies such as the health service, schools or

police service, nurses, doctors, policemen and teachers and etc.

According to the constitution there are no specific civil servant roles stated. However in Malaysian

constitution stated that civil servants are to serve as long as the Yang Di-pertua Agung approves. In

general, roles and responsibilities of the civil servants is through the method and rules in public service

in Malaysia. This rules are based on the practice and also convention in democratic administration which

is the roles and responsible of the civil servants is according to the democratic system.

In general the function of bureaucrat is to ensures the coordination with other central ministries, federal

agencies, serve the government of the day, modernizing public administration through

professionalization, contributing to the improvement and efficiency of the service delivery to the

citizens, response to all segments of the country’s population, produce and deliver goods and services to

public and To provide assistant or help to the public, As a promoter of the change of the reform process,
a professional that is trained and able to facilitate the interactions and to solve problems that are

manifesting at a community level, to creating and adequate framework of identifying problems and to

propose solutions to solve them, through elaboration and implementation of a local action plans

CHALLENGES AND WEAKNESS

Cultivating an attitude of integrity among civil servants is a challenge. Among the virtues in the

concept of integrity include accuracy, sincerity, personal height, honesty, the glory of reliability,

simplicity, telling the truth, keeping promises, politeness and other positive qualities. However, not all

civil servants are capable of applying those qualities in carrying out their responsibilities as a civil

servant.

However, bureaucrats have weaknesses and constraints from various aspects that we will discuss

later, one of the hot issues regarding weaknesses in civil servants is involvement in corruption issues.

This is because there are many cases of corruption issues in the country to the extent that Malaysia is

categorized as a country with relatively high corruption statistics caused by several factors such as low

salary levels, lack of awareness about the importance of integrity in oneself and the effect if the level of

integrity is low and will not directly affect the quality of service. Although not in total, there are a

handful of civil servants who use their jobs and ranks to get money without shame and thinking about

the negative consequences of such acts. Although the percentage of cases of corruption and lack of

integrity among public servants is small compared to the total number of public servants, it can be

likened to a thorn in the flesh if not curbed.

In addition, issues related to absenteeism is a challenge that occurs among civil servants as stated by

However, absenteeism is one of the popular factors for civil servants who are subject to disciplinary

action including being suspended from public service as explained by the Chairman of the Public Service

Commission (SPA), Tan Sri Zainal Rahim Seman. Absenteeism can also be linked to stealing work hours
that can harm the organization and affect the image of the department, especially among the public or

the people themselves. If you imagine the amount of stolen time that should be used to maximize

welfare and productivity in the delivery of public services

CONCLUSION

it can be concluded that bureaucrats or public officers have been acting in the implementation of

public administration since before independence, after independence and until now and have been

improved and improved to suit and meet the needs of today. If we look at a public servant or public

officer is very important and has a role and responsibility in delivering public services for the well-being

of the people and the country, for example the most significant role is delivering services to the public.

However, there are also constraints and weaknesses that occur among public officers such as a lack of

integrity which has caused many of the civil servants to fall into corruption and abuse of power. .

Therefore, there needs to be improvements and measures to cultivate the character of integrity among

every civil servant.

Through some of the highlights of the study, it was found that knowledge and culture about

integrity issues is seen as a significant weakness in the failure to apply the nature of integrity in work,

especially for civil servants themselves. With that, an understanding of the concept of integrity of a civil

servant is very necessary to show harmony between words and actions and to be able to act according

to moral, ethical and legal principles, as well as to prioritize the public interest over personal desires and

do work comprehensively, relevantly and holistically. Besides,

In addition, the government needs to re-monitor the public administration system and review the

main causes and then formulate initiatives to foster high integrity among public servants in Malaysia so

that the public delivery system is more efficient and in producing civil servants who are not only skilled

but have high integrity and can maintain the image of the public service system.
5. REFERENCE

Taeyeon, O, Jihyeon, O, Junhee, K, Kisung,D, K,. (2018, October 08). Differences of perception

between private and public officers in an organizing committee concerning stakeholders

of an international sporting event. Emerald Insight.

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJSMS-08-2017-0067/full/html

Merriam-Webster, (2023, November 14). Legal Definition Public Officer.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20officer

Shamrahayu, A. A, (2015, Julai 22). Memahami Amanah Digalas Penjawat Awam. Sinar Harian.
 https://www.bharian.com.my/kolumnis/2015/07/69407/memahami-amanah-digalas-penja

wat-awam

Azzanawawy Samat. (2023, March 13). Birokrasi Dalam Organisasi. Bernama.

https://www.bernama.com/bm/tintaminda/news.php?id=2172522