KUCHING: All races and ethnicities, particularly the Orang Ulu and minority communities, are encouraged to join the Sarawak civil service.
State secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki said the state’s recruitment and appointment system is always inclusive; regardless of race and ethnicity, but rather based on academic qualifications, capabilities and competencies.
“Currently, I would say all races are well-represented in the state civil service, holding different positions at various levels, except there is a lack of participation from the Orang Ulu community.
“I have conducted several meetings and discussions with community leaders and related associations, where we ask them to find qualified individuals to apply. But, some of them are not keen on joining us because they are interested in serving as teachers and so on,” he explained.
He said this when receiving a courtesy call from Suara Sarawak and New Sarawak Tribune, led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Datuk Dr Jeniri Amir, at Wisma Bapa here yesterday.
Abu Bakar said it is important for the state civil service to be inclusive in order to serve the multiracial society in Sarawak effectively.
For instance, he said, by having the Penan in the civil service, they can definitely contribute on how to bring development to their community; they will also know how to resolve issues affecting the Penan better.
“So, there is no reason for us to neglect any race or ethnic communities,” he said.
In recent years, he said, there was an increasing number of Sarawakian Chinese, including Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) holders joining the state civil service; while many of them were appointed as heads of department, permanent-secretaries and so on.
He added that even one of his deputies is Chinese, referring to Datuk Hii Chang Kee.
Furthermore, he said, in the past, Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (SAINS) was never led by a Malay while the Public Works Department (PWD) Sarawak was never headed by a Dayak. But, it is a different situation now.
“We have all races at all levels, with different roles and functions,” he said.
Abu Bakar stressed that the public perception about the civil service has been unfair or that neglecting certain races or ethnic communities are untrue.
“The Sarawak government is very open, and I disagree with such statements because we implement a very fair system, especially in the recruitment of civil servants.
“The first thing considered is, of course, the academic qualifications of an individual, followed by the interview process and other stages. Based on experience, I do not see any elements of us neglecting any race,” he said.
Currently, he said, there are over 26,000 personnel in the state civil service in Sarawak.
For the record, during the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly session in November 2022, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan stated that the recruitment and selection system for civil servants in Sarawak is based on merit to ensure individuals are appointed regardless of quotas, ethnicity and background.
He said that currently, the Sarawak Civil Service comprises officers from all ethnicities and races, including minority ethnicities such as Kajang, Mierek, Saban, and Tagal.
He also dismissed claims of racial issues in the matter, stating that Bidayuh, Chinese, Melanau, and others are not denied equal opportunities when their job applications are rejected due to discrimination.
