STATING that the campaign to encourage the enrolment of Malaysians in public service should not be limited to the Chinese community alone, UMNO Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh (main image, inset) further mooted the idea that focus should be accorded to wooing their participation in the military corps.
While calling on the campaign to be extended to all races in the country, the Merlimau state assemblyman hinted that there are vacancies in the army that can be filled up by the Chinese and Indian Malaysians.
While Akmal’s opinion is welcomed, one wonders if the Russia-trained medical practitioner is testing the patriotism of non-Malays considering that joining the army would most probably be the last job option for risk-adverse Chinese job candidates.
At a glance, it can be safely assumed that most Chinese candidate in the army would certainly be eyeing the rank of an officer – at minimum – a position that can only be filled if the individual holds the academic qualification of a graduate.
“First of all, it should not be that only the Chinese are encouraged to join the civil service but the Indians and other races as well, especially in the military field where there is low participation among non-Bumiputera,” Akmal was cited as saying by Malay language news portal MalaysiaGazette.
The Melaka state Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security executive councillor was commenting on a revelation by Chan Ming Kai who is the political secretary to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the extremely low number of Chinese in the civil service as constituting a flaw in the government.
As such, Chan who was the former Alor Setar MP encouraged more Chinese to join the civil service considering that only 40% of the 15,000 Chinese applicants were eligible for interviews last year. Currently, the Chinese make up 22.6% of the country’s population but only 6.62% of Chinese Malaysians are civil servants.
Sin Chew Daily further quoted Chan who attended a campaign to encourage more Chinese to join the civil service at the Melaka Chinese Chamber of Commerce on Sunday (March 3) night as saying that many Chinese candidates were unsuccessful in their applications given they were incapable of expressing themselves despite possessing academic qualifications.
Melaka was the first stop for the campaign tour jointly organised by the Prime Minister’s political secretary office, Melaka Chinese Assembly Hall, Melaka Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Melaka Chinese Education Progressive Association, a strategy study committee under Hua Zong, Tindak Komuniti Inklusif Melaka and Media Chinese International Ltd. – March 6, 2024
