Samy to query PSD chief over report

(The Star) – MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu will seek details from the Public Services Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam on employment and promotional opportunities for non-Malays, especially Indians in the public service sector.

He was puzzled over why a paper had reported that non-Malays, especially Indians were not interested in government jobs.

“I am surprised over the report. I want to know the latest statistics, after which I will prepare a detailed report to be submitted to the Cabinet, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister,” he said when commenting on a report in a newspaper that out of 486,802 of those who applied to work in the civil service last year, Chinese and Indians only accounted for 1.78% and 2.5% respectively.

It quoted Public Service De-partment (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam as saying that the situation was difficult to change although the PSD had been trying to reduce the gap between the races in the civil service.

Ismail had said the Government had never condoned sympathy or discrimination when hiring new staff, including those at the diplomatic and administration level.

Samy Vellu had recently said he had brought to the attention of the Cabinet on the need to employ more Indians and also provide more promotional opportunities for them in the public service sector.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi then requested Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to chair a special committee to look into the matter.

It was reported that an average of 5% of Indians were employed in the civil service.