Civil Service has strived to serve Singaporeans better, say Ministers
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing (centre) said that having been in the Civil Service for over 20 years, he is proud of what the organisation has been able to do. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY
SINGAPORE — While the Civil Service might fall short at times, it acknowledges its mistakes and has strived to continue to serve Singaporeans better, said two Cabinet Ministers on Thursday (March 2), a day after several Members of Parliament (MPs) urged the public service to display more compassion, especially in helping those from lower-income households.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing said that having been in the Civil Service for over 20 years, he is proud of what the organisation has been able to do. As with every organisation, there will be disappointment on how things are done, and areas for improvement, he added.
Mr Chan was responding to a question from reporters after a post-Budget dialogue with some 140 professionals, managers, technicians and executives (PMETs) organised by public feedback unit REACH and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
"I think overall, if you ask me, I think we have a good Civil Service. I think we have people who go out of their way to do what is right, what is necessary for Singaporeans,” he said. “There will always be areas where we can improve and I would be the first one to say that, even coming from the Civil Service previously, that is what we always strive to do each and every day."
Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam also took to Facebook yesterday to address the issue, commending the efforts of the Home Team. Despite having to risk their safety to carry out their duties, they continue to serve the public diligently because they have "a heart".
"When we fall short and make mistakes, we will acknowledge them and do better. That is what we owe to Singaporeans and to ourselves," said Mr Shanmugam. "There will always be some cases where criticism might be fair. But those are the exceptions, not the rule. And generalisations, from a few incidents will not be accurate."
In Parliament on Wednesday during the Budget debate, Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng cited examples of how people have been turned away because public servants were doing things strictly by the book, and lamented that there appeared to be "a system without a heart".
Nominated MP Kuik Shiao-Yin had also urged the Government to be compassionate in helping those who are poor, while Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) said some civil servants tend to be more concerned with the "rules of their own agency" than what might benefit Singaporeans.
Alluding to these comments, Mr Shanmugam said he had spoken with two of the MPs who had spoken up about the public service. They informed him that while they had highlighted the good work of the civil service, they also wanted to point out areas of improvement, he said.
Mr Shanmugam also said that he will also discuss a recent survey results which shows the extraordinary level of faith and trust Singaporeans have in the Police Force in Parliament on Friday (March 3).
Jalan Besar GRC MP Denise Phua said in a Facebook post that she disagreed that the public service has lost its heart, saying that she has met “more civil servants and other agency staff who care than those who don't care".
She noted that bottlenecks in government services could have arisen because of the way teams and agencies are traditionally organised and structured, or when rules or procedures have not caught up with the times.
Posting on Facebook, Mr Ng said that he had mentioned in his speech that public servants are a "rare breed who devote their lives towards serving Singapore and I thank them for their dedication."
He added that the speech was drafted in consultation with public servants who are on the ground and who are frustrated. "Many I’ve spoken to feel that when they bring such cases to their superiors, they are scolded for not following the books," said Mr Ng.
He added that there is a need to develop a culture where civil servants are not penalised for being different, and where they are given some flexibility when processing cases.
"Let's improve our system so that they can work in an environment where they can speak up and can question," he added.
