Although it is generally perceived that a civil service job is a ticket to lifelong employment, that doesn’t mean a civil servant can be sloppy.

The demotion of Tourism Malaysia Director-General Ammar Abd Ghapar to deputy DG could have just been another personnel adjustment in any private enterprise.

However, in Malaysia’s public service sector, the demotion has quickly snowballed into a heated controversy, prompting some to seize the opportunity to fan public emotion and blow up the incident.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing’s latest action against an underperforming senior civil servant has sparked very polarized reactions from the Malaysian public.

On the one hand, many people support the minister, feeling that any senior manager unable to deliver will just have to go, but on the other hand, there are voices questioning Tiong’s move.

Tourism Promotion Board Employee Union has urged the minister to explain why Ammar was only given five-day notice of termination, while Bersatu’s Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin also urged Tiong to give a reasonable explanation for his decision, arguing that the authorities must investigate this incident as the country is gearing up for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS), meanwhile, has proposed a third party advisor to ensure fair practices before any decision on the termination or demotion of civil servants is made.

Given the outcry and skepticism, it is imperative that minister Tiong and the relevant authorities respond immediately, lest the incident be blown out of proportion by opportunistic individuals into a racially sensitive issue.

Tiong has already explained that the demotion of Ammar was due to the latter’s poor performance in executing his duties, nothing to do at all with race or religion.

By law the tourism, arts and culture minister has every right to appoint or terminate the service of Tourism Malaysia’s director-general. So, Tiong has acted within his ministerial power.

As for Ammar’s performance, the minister has this to say: “When tourists came to Malaysia, he failed to promote our new tourist attractions and did not liaise with the states.

“While Thailand can get 10 million tourists annually from China alone, we only receive 1.2 million.

“He did follow me to promote the country, and when I told him to follow up, he never did so.”

In the meantime, Ammar defended himself, asking: “What have I done wrong?”

Tourism is a major pillar of national economy, especially at a time economic recovery is sluggish and we badly need foreign exchange earnings from the tourists to stimulate the local market and create economic spinoff.

Tourism officials need to buck up and perform in order to catalyze the country’s tourist industry development. And this is the most basic requirement a minister can ask of his subordinates.

As a matter of fact, the performance of Malaysian civil servants has chronically been undesirable.

While there are indeed diligent civil servants who strive to serve the nation well, there are plenty who simply don’t perform up to the mark.

In view of this, there is a need for a transparent evaluation system to gauge a civil servant’s performance and galvanize him into contributing positively for the country and society.

Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali said a new Demerit Performance Evaluation (DEEP) system will be imposed on the country’s civil servants from this year, starting with 100 marks and marks will be deducted based on whether an officer has done what has been asked of him.

Although it is generally perceived that a civil service job is a ticket to lifelong employment, that doesn’t mean a civil servant can be sloppy.

Civil servants play a pivotal role in a country’s development, and a highly efficient civil service will put the government’s policies into effective implementation to benefit the rakyat and society.

Like their private sector counterparts, civil servants must not stop progressing and nestle in their comfort zones. Instead, they must work harder to lift their delivery efficiency in order to contribute significantly towards the well-being of the nation.