PUTRAJAYA, Jan 12 (Bernama) — Civil servants who are participating in the operations to assist flood victims should be rotated to avoid pressure among the staff concerned, said the Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN), Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.
He said that heads of department such as those from the Fire and Rescue Department, Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysian Armed Forces and the Civil Defence Department must implement staff rotation in the flood-affected areas.
"Many of them are working hard until today to resolve the problems faced by the victims since the floods started in December," he said, adding that the staff concerned should be given adequate time to rest and meet their family members.
"So, I urge those heads of department who have yet to implement the rotation to do so to avoid fatigue and stress among the staff involved," he said.
Ali disclosed this to reporters after sending off the second mission of the post-flood aid volunteers from the Prime Minister's Department (JPM) comprising 450 people to Perak and Pahang at the Masjid Putra square, in Putrajaya, Monday.
Also present at the event was the Director-General of the Public Service Department (JPA), Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal.
Ali said the job rotation must also be carried out by the department heads for the staff of several agencies at the federal, state and district levels who were also involved in the disaster aid mission.
He said the staff replacement could be carried out by taking civil servants from the other states to be temporarily deployed to the flood-affected areas.
In his brief speech to the volunteers earlier, Ali wanted them to prove that the slogan 'merakyatkan penjawat awam' or bringing civil servants closer to the people was not merely a 'lip service' but to discharge their responsibilities whole-heartedly when aiding the victims.
"Place yourself in the same situation faced by the victims, feel their sorrow and perform the voluntary service whole-heartedly," he said.
The mission until Friday was the second sent by the JPM after the first one comprising 5,000 people was sent off by the deputy prime minister last Monday. (BERNAMA)
