KUALA LUMPUR – The government must stop the practice of rehiring retired civil servants for senior positions in oversight bodies, the group CSO Platform for Reform has said.
The civil society group cited the recent appointment of Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun as the new chairman of the Election Commission (EC) as a case in point, and said the government had wasted other skilled and capable talents within the civil service.
“We express our concern that this practice undermines efforts to cultivate a progressive, merit-based public service and hampers opportunities for capable professionals on the subject matter,” the CSO Platform’s steering committee said in a statement today.
“We emphasise the need for a fresh perspective in pivotal roles such as the EC chairman.”
The group also encouraged the inclusion of experts from the private sector, universities and civil society leaders to introduce current knowledge and unbiased viewpoints.
“This approach aims to minimise political influence and enhance transparency in decision-making processes.
“The Madani government wasted yet another golden opportunity to showcase this approach that would have been able to signal a strong commitment to utilising the best and brightest minds in the country to tackle complex issues related to electoral integrity and governance,” it said.
It also reiterated the same calls by several quarters for the appointments of EC commissioners to be reviewed by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reform.
It also proposed a dedicated parliamentary special committee focused solely on electoral reforms.
On May 17, William Leong, who chairs the PSSC dealing with elections, said his committee was prepared to evaluate the appointment of a new EC chairman.
“Ramlan’s appointment has disregarded the preferences of the parliamentary committee and undermined parliamentary procedures,” the CSO Platform said.
Ramlan was appointed as the new EC chairman on June 26, replacing Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh who retired on May 9 after leading the commission for four years.
Ramlan, 60, had been a career civil service officer for 28 years, serving in various ministries and departments. – July 3, 2024