Chapter 3: Beginning of a Career

I first joined the Sabah State Civil Service towards the end of 1976. Since then another bit of my career began. That was then the beginning of the Berjaya era. Berjaya party defeated USNO in a state election. I was then posted to the Ministry of Manpower and Environment Development as an Administrative Assistant. The permanent secretary was Mr. Mohd. Tahir Jaafar who later went around to head a number of departments and carried along the Datukship title. He should be the State Secretary, but I think he is not born to be one.

It was an ambitious vision for the state government during that time to set up such a state ministry. It was far too abstract and wide and at the end of the day The ministry out live its original functions. Both manpower and environmental are under the jurisdiction of the Federal government, and furthermore we had not the expertise to plan and carried out works. It was just like a paper tiger attempt or perhaps then a political propaganda, just like giving authority over to the then minster (Datuk Yap Pak Leong) with something better and challenging to do.

Looking from hind side, however, all is not lost. Agencies such as the Sabah Tourism Corporation and Sabah National Parks have established themselves a strong foothold and far more developed then their pioneer days. The Sabah state civil service is by nature an out dated bureaucracy. Since I was studying in ITM, and thereafter I read more of the subject while I pursued my first degree and then my masters. Honestly I am not an expert in this field; it is more related to management than financial analysis which is more relevant for me.

However, disregarding all feelings, I like to approach this subject with an open mind and on a contemporary basis. The bureaucracy is an organizational system of interrelated functions. In this context we always refer to a government system, because of its non-profit motive and all agencies whether statutory, proper or otherwise all interrelated with regards to funds, manpower and politics, responsibilities and styles or attitudes.

In laymen term, the bureaucracy makes up the government machinery. Over years the functions and manpower increases dramatically following new policies of the government turning the whole system into a jungle and more of confusions. Perhaps it is better to examine the structure, functions, management styles, resources, tools, manpower and their environment. These very basic elements determine the efficiencies of the bureaucracy.

The basic organization structure of the Sabah State civil service resembles that of the pyramid probably not due to the needs but much more of specialization. The danger is the unnecessary expansion let to the disappearance of responsibilities. This is shown by the hierarchy, in presumed posts the civil service is headed by the State Secretary and at the lowest rank the laborers. Similarly, ministers, departments and agencies if grouped together they formed a hierarchy resulting that of a pyramid. This feature is normally open to abuse since there is no clear line of demarcation of responsibilities and authorities because of the inter-related functions and because a person can hold more than one positions.

It is normal to look at the functions synonymous with responsibilities. The functions of ministries department and agencies are normally outlines and define by statues, but it is normal to find overlapping jurisdictions and this is where we find interrelated functions.

Management styles are absent and the neglected feature of the state civil service. This may be due to having superficial knowledge of the subject, untrained and could not careless attitude, and not to forget the urge to go higher by way of “Angkat dua kaki”. Since the colonial days, Malay dominates The feudal system and become colonial servants. This may be due to their loyalty or ‘kesetiaan’ but this feature no longer persists since the chase for material gains and higher positions rocks the road.

Throughout my many years in the civil service I find it difficult to search for officers who cleared their desks from files or pieces of papers with letter-heads. They keep piling them up, perhaps showing that they are overworked, I once came across a head of department whom I served under, who liked to equipped his office with unnecessary number of cabinets, and later on I found out that he used to staked and divide the files and hide them there. Some are fond of attending meetings, courses seminars and private dialogues. This habitual is a disease of inferior syndrome. ‘Decision Making’ is always vested on the post and delegated by statute and not on other body, and  not on to a committee as they tend to be time consuming.

My first assignment was to design a statutory body with regard to Sabah Tourism Promotion Corporation, way back in the late 1976. I choose the horizontal over the pyramid feature as I like more decentralization rather than centralization. At the upper level the person in charge was designated as general manager and without a ‘deputy’ as I never like a hierarchy built up. I believe at that point in time and still is that some form of competitions and trust should be practice and this is healthy. Having a deputy would tend to place the officer next in line a secure position and this I believe is not healthy. Because should the top person retired, or out of the way, then there is a little to worry as no second person is to take over by way of certainty. Unless as in the civil service his position is not confirm. I was latter assigned to a unit to temporarily take over the functions after the corporation was freezed.

Later in the late 1979, I was transferred to the District Office Sandakan as an Assistant District Officer and my boss was Datuk Hj. Hassan Alban Sandukung. The short time I spend there was enough to give we some experience of district life, and years later, as I joined back the civil service again, I made no attempt to go back to this life. Life in a big town especially in Kota Kinabalu allow me to move around with my family and I place important to the education of my children. Though life in Kota Kinabalu is far more expensive then any other towns; I find time to struggle with the small paycheck to meet ends meet. Life is hard so as to say.

The general orders ‘Perintah Am Negeri Sabah (1980)” is to my opinion, though a rigid or Draconian extract is far too out-dated. It contains too many loop holes among others and in humane. Its interpretations are made by those who hear nothing and see nothing. Say if one get involved in an accident (like me), the general orders make no provision to compensate and make no mentioning of sympathy. The relevant rules that cover promotions in The Sabah Civil Service is left to interpretations and to be determined by the ‘inner circle’, if one may not get into the promotions ladder. There is no compassion and going beyond will be trapped by the corrupt provisions, not to mention the provisions of the Anti Corruption Act. But many officers live beyond their means and many did not get prosecuted, but protected. One could always find ways to justify the means. So promotions were slow for me.

Being familiar with organizations and management styles I then was assigned to separate the Hydraulics section from the State Public Work Department (PWD). Basically the PWD was becoming a massive organization with wide control over development and fundings. Setting up a Water Departments is necessary to look after the operations and developments of water supplies. In the long run it will be a feasible business. Its creation had never been intended to be privatized either in part or as a whole, because its organization structure is more of contemporary in nature and of a modern business organization and much less of bureaucratic. Year’s letter, changes were made to strengthen the enforcement function, but I see the impact is minimal. There must be total commitments and the management style must change to incorporate this. More suitable is that, of theory of that is a business culture must be top down. The idea is if it cannot make money then do away with their function to absorb it.

For more than ten years in the Ministry of Infrastructure, I become more of a jack of all trades. I did write a number of speeches, project papers and cabinet papers. But that was that, my attitude was not that of a ‘yes man!’ Perhaps this way why I was never given much consideration for promotions while my juniors climb the rank like running the steps.

Being transferred to the Land and Survey Department was a blessing in disguised. I was more of the disciplinary officer than a planner. Discipline in the department is like cancer in our body. Corruption in all forms is highly practiced. Officers top down to the lowest rank own lands here and there because they are in authority. Some disregard the kampong people and played them out. The irony is few get prosecuted, because they are never reported, and if they are reported, they would be protected by and top management top down, supported and protected each other. I guessed other departments, are the same too, and only on a matter of degree.

But before that, two of my best undertakings while in the civil service made me one of the most feared strategists. One was handling the compensation for the taking over of Sabah Electricity Board by Tenaga National. The other was the creation of Jabatan Air Negeri Sabah. A friend, a good lawyer Juprin Wong used to point me as a brilliant strategist; perhaps he is too modest and hopefully honest. Me, I am no body though being called with so many names; the ‘long hair’, ‘Juragan’ and so on, and not a point.

            In Malay “saya hanya umpama sebesar hama di lautan samudera”. Nothing special, I just happen to be in the right place but at the wrong time. I wake and live by my own principal, whatever.