| Azlan Othman |
THOSE who are given power must not abuse it for self-interest or to mistreat people, said His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
“Good public servants are those who serve honestly and sincerely, and not who are efficient but disloyal. Efficiency is not worth if it is used to persecute people,” the monarch noted in a titah delivered on the occasion of the 24th Civil Service Day Celebration at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas yesterday.
“I don’t want to see a public service that abuses power or making defamatory remarks. This does not bring in any good, but rather invites acrimony. Public service must be clean from all negative elements for the nation and government to be blessed.
“I encouraged people to practise team spirit, particularly in public service, as teamwork can ensure more benefits. When we talk about teamwork, it is not about forming an alliance which involves conspiracy or cronyism.
“Cronyism normally has a leader to control the group. Teamwork is different from that and a team flourishes through consensus and consultation,” His Majesty said.
“Public service is the pulse that determines the progress and strength of a nation. Hence, I always follow the performance and situation of the public service of the country,” the monarch noted.
“In this context, I am pleased to note that the Prime Minister’s Office, as the core agency in leading the public service, is actively implementing the Civil Service Framework.
“One of the initiatives that has been introduced beginning October 1, 2017, is the New Performance Management System for all civil servants. The objective is to ensure that the assessment of work results of every officer and staff is carried out fairly and transparently, reflecting their true contributions.
“In my opinion, the assessment system must focus on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), besides competency evaluation. In this context, I urge every public servant to take seriously the implementation of the new performance assessment system according to the stipulated guidelines,” the ruler said.
“I believe the new system will contribute more to productivity and competitiveness in providing quality public services as well as promote innovation as a work culture.”
Touching on innovation, the monarch said public servants must generate new ideas to ensure more effective delivery of service. “This lays the role of public service leaders – from permanent secretary level to heads of department to even heads of unit level – in reviewing the guidelines for the provision of services.
“I believe success will be more prominent if there is wider participation from all levels of public service. This innovative culture could boost foreign investment which will greatly benefit the economy,” the monarch said.
Referring to the economy, His Majesty said, “Alhamdulillah, the government’s efforts towards improvement have shown a positive signs to date. Recently, the World Bank report on Ease of Doing Business 2018 stated that the nation’s ranking has improved to 56th position from 105th place three years ago.
“Our nation has been recognised as the most improved economy in implementing reformations for three consecutive years. We became even more proud when we attained the second highest spot globally in the ‘Getting Credit’ criteria.
“This encouraging achievement indicates clearly the effectiveness of the country’s leadership and the whole-of-nation approach. I am convinced that the business environment in Brunei will be enhanced further to help it attain the aspired target to be among the top 20 countries in the world,” the ruler said.
His Majesty added that the initiatives drafted under the Civil Service Framework will not be complete without considering the spiritual and etiquette factors in public service.
Also attending the 24th Civil Service Day Celebration were His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik; and Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Following the titah, the event continued with a special talk by Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Japar bin Haji Mat Dain @ Maidin, the Deputy State Mufti.
The event saw 41 government officers and staff from Division II, III, IV and V of each ministry receiving the Civil Service Outstanding Employee Award from His Majesty.
His Majesty also presented awards and certificates to the winners of the 20th National-level Quality Control Circle (KKC) Convention.
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