On Destruction of Government Records and Documents
When the date of the 13th general elections is approaching, we are certain that many of us has already received some messages or notifications informing the general public that the incumbent federal government in Putrajaya is doing whatever it can to destroy as much records and documents of the administration as it can prior to 5th May 2013, that is this coming weekend.
On the previous 12th general elections held on 8 March 2008, we had heard of and seen it happening in the states of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor, when the then incumbent state government executive councillors and their henchmen went to their respective offices over the middle of the night to retrieved as much documentations and records as possible from their office building in order to have them destroyed, deleted or shredded in order to wipe out whatever evidence they had on their past wrongdoings and corrupt practices.
The question here is, will it happened again this time, after the 13th general elections? Who are the ones who are supposed to be responsible of the safekeeping of such government records and documentations at large? The incumbent chief ministers or menteris besar? No! It is the utmost sole duties and responsibilities of the civil servants to ensure that these government records and documents are in proper order and under their custody until the new government takes over the role of governance. In actual fact, it is a sacred duty and responsibility of all civil servants to be apolitical and to protect whatever records and documentations of the government.
In the case of the federal government, it is the duty and responsibility of the Chief Secretary to the Government (Ketua Setiausaha Negara - KSN) and his assigned staffs to ensure that the federal records and documents are in proper order prior to the handover to the new government, while in the states, it will be the State Secretary (Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri - SUK) and his staffs to do so. As civil servants, they had taken their oaths before the Yang Dipertuan Agong, the State Rulers and the Head of States to discharge their duties and responsibilities with utmost dignity and integrity as well as to protect and preserve the many interests of the government and its properties therein.
The main challenges here are, will the KSN in the federal government and all those SUK in the state governments be able to remember what are their sacred duties and responsibilities are when coming to meeting such situation, that is the changing of government? Do they actually remember that as civil servants, their roles are supposed to be apolitical and what they should do in event of such situation occurs? The previous SUKs for the states of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor had eventually failed to prevent such thing from taking place (destruction of government records and documents) in 2008, when the incumbent ruling party lost in the 12th general elections. Are the KSN and SUKs going to repeat such mistakes after this coming 5th May 2013?
We wish to remind them (KSN and all SUKs) again. The balls are in their hands all the time and they cannot simply let such negative elements from taking place. Destroying of government records and documents are tantamount to an act of treason and betrayal to His Majesty, the Yang Dipertuan Agong and the entire nation.
As many of such messages and notifications has been circulating around the general public on the possible destruction of the government records and documents under the instructions of the incumbent ruling party are ongoing, can the KSN and the respective SUKs come up and take their stands as civil servants with true integrity to ensure that such moves would not happen in their respective offices and none of their staffs would be cooperating in carrying out these negative and irresponsible acts?
Are the KSN and SUKs brave enough to come forward to pledge in the name of the Yang Dipertuan Agong that such negative elements will not happen? Prove your worth as civil servants of high integrity.
On the previous 12th general elections held on 8 March 2008, we had heard of and seen it happening in the states of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor, when the then incumbent state government executive councillors and their henchmen went to their respective offices over the middle of the night to retrieved as much documentations and records as possible from their office building in order to have them destroyed, deleted or shredded in order to wipe out whatever evidence they had on their past wrongdoings and corrupt practices.
The question here is, will it happened again this time, after the 13th general elections? Who are the ones who are supposed to be responsible of the safekeeping of such government records and documentations at large? The incumbent chief ministers or menteris besar? No! It is the utmost sole duties and responsibilities of the civil servants to ensure that these government records and documents are in proper order and under their custody until the new government takes over the role of governance. In actual fact, it is a sacred duty and responsibility of all civil servants to be apolitical and to protect whatever records and documentations of the government.
In the case of the federal government, it is the duty and responsibility of the Chief Secretary to the Government (Ketua Setiausaha Negara - KSN) and his assigned staffs to ensure that the federal records and documents are in proper order prior to the handover to the new government, while in the states, it will be the State Secretary (Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri - SUK) and his staffs to do so. As civil servants, they had taken their oaths before the Yang Dipertuan Agong, the State Rulers and the Head of States to discharge their duties and responsibilities with utmost dignity and integrity as well as to protect and preserve the many interests of the government and its properties therein.
The main challenges here are, will the KSN in the federal government and all those SUK in the state governments be able to remember what are their sacred duties and responsibilities are when coming to meeting such situation, that is the changing of government? Do they actually remember that as civil servants, their roles are supposed to be apolitical and what they should do in event of such situation occurs? The previous SUKs for the states of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor had eventually failed to prevent such thing from taking place (destruction of government records and documents) in 2008, when the incumbent ruling party lost in the 12th general elections. Are the KSN and SUKs going to repeat such mistakes after this coming 5th May 2013?
We wish to remind them (KSN and all SUKs) again. The balls are in their hands all the time and they cannot simply let such negative elements from taking place. Destroying of government records and documents are tantamount to an act of treason and betrayal to His Majesty, the Yang Dipertuan Agong and the entire nation.
As many of such messages and notifications has been circulating around the general public on the possible destruction of the government records and documents under the instructions of the incumbent ruling party are ongoing, can the KSN and the respective SUKs come up and take their stands as civil servants with true integrity to ensure that such moves would not happen in their respective offices and none of their staffs would be cooperating in carrying out these negative and irresponsible acts?
Are the KSN and SUKs brave enough to come forward to pledge in the name of the Yang Dipertuan Agong that such negative elements will not happen? Prove your worth as civil servants of high integrity.