Does Cuepacs’ Omar know what he’s saying?

“Cuepacs: Nizar doesn’t know what he’s saying” – New Straits Times today reported the Cuepacs president Omar Othman denying that civil servants had contributed to Pas’ victory in Saturday’s Kuala Terengganu by-election.

The NST reported:

He (Omar) said public services employees, both those serving the federal and state governments, fully supported the Barisan Nasional and Umno leadership.

He was commenting on a claim by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.

“Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin claimed government staff serving the federal and state governments sympathised with and supported Pas,” Omar said yesterday.

“He also said they had become more daring to vote for Pas in the by-election despite being threatened or forced.

“This is a big lie by a man who knows nothing about the public services or its system.

“The more than 1.2 million civil servants in this country have been loyal and supportive of the government. There is no doubt about that.”

He said civil servants appreciated what the government had been doing for them all these years.

“They know who has been fighting for their welfare and paying their salaries to enable them to feed and support their family. Leave them alone,” Omar said.

Does Omar know what he is saying?

If Nizar’s statement that government servants, both federal and state, sympathized and supported PAS is to be challenged, it should come from UMNO and Barisan Nasional and not from Cuepacs.

How does the Cuepacs President know who the government servants voted for in the by-election?

Is there no secrecy of the ballot and the constitutional right of every voter, including a civil servant, to vote freely?

In saying that Nizar had told “a big lie” in claiming that government servants have become more daring to vote for PAS in the by-election despite being threatened or forced, Omar has strayed into a territory which is no business of the Cuepacs President, as it concerns the constitutional and citizenship right of a government servant to vote freely without coercion or inducement.

Is Omar seriously suggesting that civil servants in Pakatan Rakyat state governments should unite and vote against the Pakatan Rakyat candidates in by-elections or the next general election?

What has happened to the important principle that the civil service should be non-partisan in political party preferences and should loyally serve the government-of-the-day which has won the mandate of the people?

If the Cuepacs President can act in repudiation of these fundamental principles of a functioning democracy, no wonder Malaysia is lagging behind so many countries in maturing as a normal and healthy democracy.

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35 Replies to “Does Cuepacs’ Omar know what he’s saying?”

  1. “What has happened to the important principle that the civil service should be non-partisan in political party preferences and should loyally serve the government-of-the-day which has won the mandate of the people?”

    Do they even understand the concept of civil service neutrality??

  2. Government servants should serve the government of the day irregardless of political party. If people believe that idiot, I blame the people’s stupidity instead of that idiot. Wake up Malaysians!!!

  3. What is this Omar guy trying to prove? hoping for promotion??
    Man, you are the obedient servant!! Keep that thought within the thick bone! Anyway this had been the process in the past and we hope it would end soon!! Omar, it we the raayat who pays your salary, just remember that! If we stop paying our share of taxes, you would get your pay.

  4. Dear All,

    UMNO is currently under-going a very severe test along with MCA, MIC and other component members of BN to re-evaluate the concept which had been used for the past 50 years. They have to look into all angles as to why the reasons of the losses in two important by-elections. However, one must be naive to say that they are going under just on a simplistic fact that they lost the two by-elections. There will be certainly groups of people who will volunteer facts and figures, pros and cons and numerous other reasons to UMNO as to why contributed their south going fate. The Ceupac is just one of them and he has to come out to say things loudly to justify the reasons the recent salary inverment for all government servants. He is merely defending himself before being shoot by the powers-that-be for unable to ensure loyalty from the civil servants. Civil servants who are supporting oppositions are no stranger to anyone. Some may even openly criticize the government so bad that you may wonder if he or she an agent for PAS, DAP or PKR. So, for the case of Omar, the Ceupac President, is just a matter of being under-pressure and an act of self defending himself.

    The harsh truth and crux of the matter is for UMNO to seriously constitute changes at all levels. Some may question as to whether the current crop of national leaders from BN could actually steer Malaysia out of the current rut both politically and economically. The ramifications from the current global financial crisis is something very complex and not as straight forward as one might think. It is a fallacy to believe that Malaysia is insulated from the crisis. Even the biggest economies in Asia like Japan and China are less bullish like our politicians do. Either our politicians see something in the financial crisis that none other could or they are just plain in denial. A recent talk by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah that Malaysia has inadvertently found herself caught in between the low cost manufacturing countries of Vietnam, China and India and the more sophisticated and technoligically advanced countries like Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea is true and undisputed. We are now neither here nor there.

    Even at this trying and challenging moments, the malaysian government and for a certain extent, the rakyat are bickering and indecisive about what language to adopt in the teaching of Maths and Science. We are practically caught in a situation where the government trying to satisfy two sides of the divide. However, if one is to look into the matter objectively, a good education is definitely a strong foundation for technological advancement. How do you think the Malaysians plan to communicate well with the rest of the world if Science and Maths are taught in B. Malaysia? While am not saying that I support English to be taught in Science and Maths but am wondering if this is an example how disconnected our politicians are on the current affairs of the world. Many people had said that Japan is suffering a lost decade when the Japanese decided to bury their heads in the sand. Similarly Malaysia has set the clock backwards when the national education policy was drawn up by Dr. Mahathir and legislated way back in 1970.

  5. OMG, how naive this piece of thing is…

    As Ceupacs’ president, he even cant differentiate the government agency/servant and the governing political party.

    He must be impoisoned “kau-kau” by BTN liao.

  6. Uncle Kit,

    The job scene is not looking very good.

    A lot of my friends in manufacturing are now preparing for a skimpy CNY and will start big worrying for their family livelihood after CNY.

    I wish all politicians and political parties will work together to help all Malaysians.

    Wishing everybody a safe CNY. Hope this little cartoon message I found will really come true for a better 2009:

    http://mylivingwall.com/v3/wall-of-cartoons/6253-cny2009

  7. Omar’s not an idiot. He’s speaking the truth. The truth is that for more than 30 years, the government has successfully brainwashed the civil service and the armed forces into voting for them at each election. At the KT by-election, there were over 1000 postal votes. 95 pct of these votes went to the BN candidate.

    We have to live with the fact that of the 1.2 million civil servants, a huge proportion of them will vote BN. In fact these people have undermined PR administration in certain states, and they will continue to be a thorn in the side of PR. The only way is to win over their hearts and minds in the long run – with transparent and just governance, so that they can see for themselves what the alternative PR government can do for their future.

  8. “He said civil servants appreciated what the government had been doing for them all these years. They know who has been fighting for their welfare and paying their salaries to enable them to feed and support their family. Leave them alone,”

    Indeed, Omar doesn’t know what he was talking about!!!

  9. “The more than 1.2 million civil servants in this country have been loyal and supportive of the government. There is no doubt about that.”

    Wow what a sweeping statement. He must be very bold to make such a statement. Either he is a complete fool in issuing broad statements blindly or there are indeed some truth in what Nizar said i.e. that civil servants have been forced or threatened to show support for umno and umnoputras.

    Anyway, what is wrong with civil servants voting opposition that Omar should react so? Isnt his reaction an indication of his desire to whip civil servants across the field to umno’s side of the line.

    Oi shut up will ya. Less said would mean more gain for umno.

  10. Cuepacs has to appear on wayang to be supportive of gomen mah, else how to ask for another round of 15-30% pay hike?

    You scratch my back I scratch your backside mah.

    Cuepacs should be neutral, like in Japan, changing of Prime Ministers like changing cloths. If PM keeps falling asleep in Parliament or likes to hanky panky with some translator, he will be asked by citizens to resign or more likely gracefully step-down to let more capable candidate to take over. The civil service has no link with the government therefore can continue to operate the next day after replacement of PM or ruling party.

    Why things are so different in this country? Are we living in a democratic society if civil servants cannot vote for the oppositions? Civil service must tie so close with the government and they cannot voice up. Civil service shall be independent from the ruling party and be neutral in a democratic society.

    Cuepacs president Omar Othman still living in the past, some dinosaur age. He should resign gracefully as his time has past.

  11. Let any pro UMNO smart ass keep talking like so.
    One day…they will say…PR have found ways to create double voting.
    UMNO needs to keep saving face for the humiliate defeat..for Najib and their remaining members.
    Omar can be considered ..a smart ass by UMNO….with his reasonings.
    Malaysians do not buy such craps.

  12. Do we recall…one important UMNO guy…proven to warn government workers not to vote for PAS ..in Terengganu….before election day?
    He said the votes can be traced.
    He resigned …when one group of government servants..came out and confirmed… he did say that to them.
    Can this low class Cuepacs president confirm those are not government servants in Terengganu?

  13. The only way is to win over their hearts and minds in the long run
    Tricky though, that one, isn’t it? I imagine that civil servants are as well informed as the next person. It presumably hasn’t escaped their attention that ‘reform’ will probably mean ‘redundancy’ for them. Selling redundancy to civil servants won’t be any easier than selling Hudud to the non-Malays in KT.

    It’s obviously not as simple as that – a PR government could preserve or even extend the civil service as some kind of heritage centre / museum / cultural exhibition of the ‘Way of the Asian’. The local media will undoubtedly remind civil servants that ‘efficient’ is a management term that means ‘sack’, unless you’re a manager or government minister. They tried a hatchet-job with “PR = Hudud”, and they’ll keep on pointing out what’s wrong with a PR future, while nobody has access to media (beyond the Internet) to put the positive side.

    It’s these kinds of issues that make limkamput look sensible when he asks ‘what will PR do?’. If PR is to capture the votes of people who might otherwise be convinced by well-rewarded journalists that they’re being ‘sacrificed for the greater good’, PR really need to come up with a convincing benefit for out-of-work civil servants, or any other potential PR voter who faces a ‘choppy’ future. Yes, PR means ‘transparency’ and ‘integrity’, but what good is that when you no longer have a job?

    My suggestion: put Malaysia’s Information Super Highway aspirations back on track. Allow open competition for local networks – Mohamed Awang Lah at JARING talks a lot of sense on this subject. Malaysia doesn’t need faster last-mile access, it needs a national infrastructure that delivers the current specification. The local infrastructure does not need to be built by a national monopoly – individuals, companies or even districts could easily obtain top-notch local infrastructure on demand from local enterprises who could re-sell access to the trunk routes.

  14. If one think deeply….this Omar is trying to scare government servants….hinting their votes can be traced and know who they voted for.
    Terengganu have a track record…Malay votes are split between PAS and UMNO…very close..just like Kelantan.
    Now with a majority or more than 2600 votes…even ignoring phantom voters…that’s real massive support for PAS. Last win by UMNO was only 600 majority.
    MCA said Chinese votes stayed with MCA.
    Najib said Chinese and Indians voted for PAS.
    And Omar need to confirm Najb’s remark. Malay must protect Malay….even in BN.
    Get it straight…election is OVER!!!
    Try that…in Sarawak…and general election time…that is ..if no more by-elections…before the 13th general election.
    Creating fear…warning government servants not to vote for oppositions …will not work.
    UMNO gave so much briberies in Terengganu? Did it work?
    All know….what they received are money stolen from them.
    These tricksters days are numbered.
    Now few big mouths will keep on talking…to save face.
    Good to know…UMNO can never face the real truth.
    So corrupted and devilish..they are……any change means sure death of the party…by these …self made little dictatorial crooks…30 years and on going….Omar…..you admire Mamak?
    Tell la…don’t be shy.

  15. Omar…. the Cuepacs president come out and say….”1.2 million government servants are loyal to UMNO…no doubt about that”….is real bunkum logic.
    How does he know?
    Votes are secret.
    What about Permatang Pauh?
    Best of all….what about the 12th election?..fluke shot?
    Why must a workers president talk politics favoring UMNO?
    He is a disgrace to fighting for justice and fairness for workers.
    He is playing pro UMNO politics…and a munafik. Why like that?

  16. The definition of Public Servant:

    A government or civil servant should and must always be read as “THE SERVANT OF THE RAKYAT” no matter who is running the federal and state offices. The word “public” says it all, and must always be read “the people”.

    We should all be reminded that a government works on the basis of : “of the people , by the people, for the people”, a simple but very pertinent, concise and powerful description of what a government should be by Pres. Abraham Lincoln. Hence, essentially, the government is actually composed of the rakyat, chosen by the rakyat themselves, and serving the rakyat.

    As such, there is no place indeed for partisanship, discrimination and prejudice on the part of any public servant. There must also not be any interference by and from any quarters in government service in any national or state election processes. No public statements must come from any quarter to affect, influence or direct any vote as each and every voter has the SOLE RIGHT to vote as he / she pleases. Aren’t we practising democracy?

    So, Mr. Omar Othman, you should know the bound of your duties. Your comment that a public servant should support the government is right, in so far that as a “public service employee” (read : public servant), one should serve the rakyat through the elected government of the day.

    However, your criticism of Mr Nizar’s claim that “some government staff serving the federal and state governments sympathised with and supported Pas” (NST), should not be uttered at all. What’s wrong for anyone to show sympathy to any political party of his/her liking? As long as one does one’s duties well in the service, one commits no wrong.

    You cannot force or influence anybody to choose or support any political party. The government employs the rakyat and has the moral duty to do so regardless of his/her political inclination.

    One wonders how Cuepacs function under your so-called leadership. If you can sound so “partisan” and biased and “dictatorial” on a very public matter, your term presiding over Cuepacs is suspect and does not bode well for the welfare of members of Cuepacs and its functions and purposes.

    You are already being perceived as having ulterior motives in your positioning and posturing. You should have kept your personal preference close to your heart. Even if you choose to make it an open secret, you do not have the right to speak on behalf of anybody else, let alone imposing your preference on others. When did you obtain the right to say so-and-so should be a supporter such-and-such a political party? Definitely it is not within your portfolio and scope of duties?

    I am wondering if any Cuepacs members could take you to court for imposing your personal views on them. Certainly you have gone overboard in this regard.

  17. Every civilized developed country…government….when they lost an election..accepts defeats without so many excuses and reasons ..except by idiotic UMNO politicians and supporters.
    Now Najib is blaming UMNO guys.. not listening to Malaysians..except himself.
    Mahathir best loved student is performing his art and craft…like his master.
    Crooks are crooks…no matter what…..they will stay crooked and cunning.
    3 hours from now… Obama will be President of USA.
    Did we ever heard any Republicans…making all sorts of excuses loosing to the Democrats?
    UMNO seems to think….without them…Malaysians will suffer terribly?
    The real truth is…..they will feel so lost..without power or opportunities.. to steal..to support their lavish lifestyles.
    Yes…go and view so many uncorrupted countries changing government….and the looser always tell everyone to support new government.
    In South East Asia….we can say…only Thailand is heading no where..right now.
    In Malaysia…we are heading somewhere….and UMNO wants to pull us back to nowhere.
    Time and time again they tried to say nEgatives about PR… after 12th election.
    All failed! Will Najib sack or put some of his corrupted ministers…past and present into jail…as his last noble act?
    Nay….Passing the blame to others…..makes them,,biggest clowns for world leaders to see.
    Bush is one for USA..gone forever..So fast….8 years only…USA voters… learned and change.
    Here after 30 years… Malaysians learned and change..but UMNO guys stay the same..DREAMING.

  18. UMNO can never be neutered. It can only be anihillated together all those race based parties.They have lost the plot completely.
    Instead of pulling together for the nation to go ahead again, they jumped straight into the blaming games.Their parents must be rueing that the gave births to such dedicated idiots.

  19. To those public servants that are suffering the indignities of having to serve a stupid and productive gomen, do give your middle fingers to them and persevere.Help is on the way in the form of a new Government
    A new government that cares.
    A new Government that is inclusive.
    A new Government that is elected by us the mighty voters.

  20. It is not an easy job being the Cuepacs President because literally, Omar Othman has to please all his bosses and political bosses in order to satisfy the more than 1.2 million strong civil force. Or else, how can they have the monetary increment, bonuses, more days of vacation and all the other benefits ? His fight is different because it is in Barisan Nasional’s turf. However, there are struggles in between departments and units. Even JPA cannot control the political manoeuvre that is going on. The State can be under Barisan Nasional but it opposes what the Federal says. Even supporters of Barisan Nasional itself cannot see eye to eye and they also screw each other out. Now that Selangor is under Pakatan Rakyat, so there is more confusion and I don’t knows. People can also say that since Selangor is under Pakatan Rakyat and Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur are in Selangor, how can you be sure that some of the civil servants in this state do not vote for PR ? Where does money come from ? It comes from all your sweat and tears. It does not come from the pockets of the politicians because if it does, then the politician himself does not have to eat. Therefore if there is going to be any change, it has to come from the people on the street. So, if the people know that there is more money for the nation, they should demand that the wealth be shared out and who will represent them if it is not the likes like Omar Othman and others ? Omar Othman knows what he is talking about. Civil servants like him will never know what it means to be treated with unfairness, suppression, oppression and polilitical games because he will always say that his bosses are always right. And when one always say that the boss is right, then the boss will make everything right for you. Nice, isn’t it ?

  21. “How does the Cuepacs President know who the government servants voted for in the by-election?”

    The Cuepacs President would know no more about this than the Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who provoked Omar Othman by his claim that “government staff serving the federal and state governments sympathised with and supported Pas”!

    On a standalone basis, there is nothing wrong about Cuepacs President’s statement “the more than 1.2 million civil servants in this country have been loyal and supportive of the government”…

    It must be emphasized that Omar Othman did not rebut the Perak MB by saying that the more than 1.2 million civil servants in this country have been loyal and supportive of the Barisan Nasional or UMNO!

    Civil servants are expected to give full support and commitment to the Government of the day and its policies and decisions. One surely does not expect them not to support or else what’s the use of civil service?

    Civil Service Neutrality implies neutrality of civil servants to partisan politics not neutrality in support of government’s policies and decisions which is their duty to carry out uninfluenced by their own political views and bias. It will not matter whether the government is formed by BN or PR’s ministers. Whilst they should “support” in terms of implementation to the best of their ability the policies and decisions of the existing government, they should not for political reasons identify with a particular policy or program of existing government so as to create an emotional disability when having to turn in the opposite direction to implement different decisions and policies under a different government. That’s all.

    Call it fair and square: PR’s Perak MB knew no more what he was talking about when he said “government staff serving the federal and state governments sympathised with and supported Pas” – we can equally ask how does he know? Cakap ta’ boleh kah? – as is matched by an equally incoherent retort from Omar Othman saying “1.2 million civil servants have been loyal and supportive of the government”.

    Perak MB was talking of Civil Servant’s partisan support for PAS whilst the other Omar is rebutting him by the trite remark that they supported the government (as distinct from the BN or UMNO).
    So they are talking at cross purposes, the rebuttal does not match the provocation, and both – and not just Cuepacs President – did not know what they were talking about.

    Three other points need be mentioned.

    The first : “Is there no secrecy of the ballot and the constitutional right of every voter, including a civil servant, to vote freely?” – this question should as rightfully b e directed to Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as it has been directed by YB Kit to Omar Othman!

    The second: “If Nizar’s statement that government servants, both federal and state, sympathized and supported PAS is to be challenged, it should come from UMNO and Barisan Nasional and not from Cuepacs” – actually Cuepacs President rightfully came to their defence because here Nizar has, in first instance, wrongfully imputed political partisanship of civil servants who, by the principle of civil service neutrality, should no more politically support PAS than UMNO or the BN.

    The third: If there were anything that Cuepacs President has said, which is not muddled and is entirely defensible in relation to civil servants, it is “Leave them alone” !

  22. Why is there no outcry that the civil service labour union head is supporting ONLY one party VERY VERY WRONG? Even in Singapore where union is headed by PAP appointees essentially, they don’t come right out and support the PAP only and absolutely? the Union is suppose to support which party that favours its members not the other way around!!!!!!

  23. I retract what I posted above at 03: 39.32 which was based on the position attributed in this blog thread to the Cuepecs’ President that ” “the more than 1.2 million civil servants in this country have been loyal and supportive of the government”…

    Looking at the exact NST report via the link given in this thread, the NST actually reported Omar Othman as saying : “public services employees, both those serving the federal and state governments, fully supported the Barisan Nasional and Umno leadership”.

    This being the case it is in obvious contradiction of the concept of Civil Service Neutrality. (My bad for not reading the link before posting).

    The rest of what I said about both Perak MB and Omar being muddled stay.

  24. The country’s civil service is supposed to be politically neutral with civil servants carrying out the tasks of government in a bipartisan manner. It is not accurate to say that they must support the ruling party. They certainly cannot allow their political affiliations and differences in ideology frustrate the efforts of the ruling party to promote economic growth and bring development.

  25. Since civil servants are supposed to be neutral and serves the government of the day.But what about such a scenario:-

    Education ministry come up with policy telling schools (through state education department) not to allow PR chief minister or menteri besar officiating any functions at all in schools or giving donation (from PR STATE GOVT) since schools and matters relating to educations are under education ministray which is falls under federal government.See, in such a case the education ministry may direct the state education department not to accept the donation(whcih is stupid) at all just to spike the PR govt.So in such a scenario..whom does the “school and state education dept” needs to follow?Since “civil servants” need to serve the govt of the day” kind of phrase?What happens then?

  26. @sean,
    Then, the rakyat should overthrow this unjust federal government. By the way, those government servants at the state education dept also have children of their own… Seeing their on children being discriminated by the federal government… I am sure they remember the PAD protest in Thailand recently.

  27. Though there is enough evidence that civil servants were bribed to vote for UMNO/BN they did not budge.They decided to exercise their rights and they did it.Vote buying and coercing will not be effective.Even Samy Velloo has realised it when he was cornered in Chennai where he found the opposition a difficut party to muffle.The era of justice and pure purpose of the election has come out.The future will not see UMNO/BN dominating but others having a worthy cause listened and elected.

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