Ten Lifetime 'Gifts' From Civil Servants: In Search For Core Values In The Sarawak Civil Service

For those of us who are already working in the Civil Service and making it a career until our retirement, some having served for ten, twenty, thirty years or more, we would sometimes ponder and wonder what we have done and contributed to public life. A lot, we may think. After all, day in and day out except for the public holidays and rest days, we are actually working in our workplace to serve and be of service, producing and delivering public goods. Yet, there are also times when we do read in the media or talkswhen the Civil Service receive brickbats. And as a result, we get exhorted by the bosses to perform, to preserve the good name and image of the Civil Service and all those expectations. Fortunately, the number of those who need reprimands and who need to be guided is small or negligible. Thus we can talk of the contribution of the large and silent majority who continue to exemplify the good and favourable image of the civil service through their contributions. Some are awarded and rewarded and some will have to wait.

In this editorial, we shall focus on the contribution of the Civil Service from a different view. We shall talk of the nature of our ways of doing things as lifetime gifts from civil servants, and how it relates to our continuous search for our core values in our service delivery when performing our tasks.

We often think of gifts as a reward for services rendered or as a gesture to mark important dates such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, educational and vocational successes. These occasions are often celebrated for achievements made or as accompaniments during festivities. Why the gifts? These gifts are often tangible and physical in nature, or it can be viewed from a materialistic angle. The reason for giving gifts can be private and personal in nature. How long can such acts of gesture from the giver to the receiver last? This editorial is not intended to dwell on such aspects of gifts but rather addresses the subject of gifts from a different perspective. We shall call it lifetime gifts of and from the Civil Service.

These lifetime gifts are non-tangibles but their impact can be visibly and emotionally felt and often last a lifetime. Since the job of civil servants is to serve the public and to produce public goods, we shall describe these lifetime gifts as acts and intentions associated with the following characteristics: the gift of being friendly, the gift of being caring, the gift of being able to listen carefully, the gift of cultivating beauty, the gift of valuing silence, the gift of being generously present and in attendance, and generously greeting people, the gift of volunteering and being resourceful, the gift of helping and the gift of solidarity. While there are many more related gifts, we shall focus on these lifetime gifts of the Civil Service as they are easily related to our daily work ­ whether we are at the secretariat, ministries, departments and agency headquarters, or serving on the ground. We shall elaborate below what we mean by these lifetime gifts.

The first gift is the gift of being friendly or people-friendly ­ mesra dengan rakyat. How do we meet, mix, interact with people? How do we treat them? Are we kind, attentive, good-humoured and interested? Are we aware of what our clients ask and expect of us? Do we assume that we already know what they want? Would not some knowledge and information about them or their needs and wants will enable us to have a better sense of perspective? Of course, we also recognize that complaints and expectations cannot be a one-way-traffic. Sometimes, it is also important that we are able to explain the differences between people's legal rights versus their human rights ­ the nuances between the private needs of an individual or a small group versus the need of the larger public. To what extent can we accede and acquiesce to the requests made by a small group of people? While we have to investigate the issues carefully, at the same time we need sufficient knowledge to remind and counsel them. To start with, they must have full trust and confidence in us ­ the government officers in the civil service. We must be treated as their confidantes. We can gain much trust and respect if we are friendly with them. What it means is that we must have a people-friendly Civil Service. At the same time, we need to probe, investigate, verify and ascertain the facts of the case before we are being swayed emotionally.

The second gift is the gift of being able to listen carefully and attentively rather than just merely hearing. Listening would mean and require us to make space in our minds for another person's or someone else's reality. Of course, if we are to succeed it demands us to possess and develop core values like patience, restraint, tolerance, generosity, caring and humility. By and large, it is recognized that the Civil Service is often at the forefront when it comes to meeting the people or citizens of the country, where the first task is to listen carefully to their clients. Imagine going to an Immigration Office to collect your passport or National Registration Department to collect your birth certificate and identity card; picture going to the Education Office for enrolment or transfer of your school-going children; imagine reporting a theft case in a Police Station; visit the Lands and Surveys Office for issuance of your land titles; visit the Agriculture Department for extension advice or details on how to apply subsidy schemes. And of course, imagine the visits to the Resident and District Offices. The list can go on and on. In all these cases, the officers and staff will be meeting all kinds of people and face 'moments of truths'. Indeed we are going to communicate and listen to our clients ­ the citizens, people or rakyat. It would take a great deal of skill to listen, not just hear, to the myriad of voices and views. So we need to have and be imbued with the gift of listening.

The third gift is the gift of cultivating beauty, cheerfulness, and smiling always in our deeds, actions and performance of our duties. Beauty here does not only signify physical things relating to look. Obviously we need to be mindful that we are focusing beyond the value adding of the ideal good look as well as being neatly dressed and well-groomed. Beauty here relates to our nature of being friendly and listening attentively. It is adding a note of value in terms of our thoughtfulness, grace or creativity in what we do (as is demanded in our work in the Civil Service), in what we think (such as when we think aloud and plan for our towns and cities, or plan to develop the rural areas). The beauty exuded in what we do can motivate and uplift others (our masters and our colleagues in the Civil Service or the rakyat whom we serve). It can extend to our way of speaking and our behaviour. There is a phrase describing the behaviour of little children or school children in a party like 'It was a good party and the children behaved beautifully' after completion of the function. Obviously, the behaviours portrayed must have been one that is engaging and captivating, held in awe and one which all parents will be proud of. In our Civil Service, it would mean that we can be applauded and accorded such remark like 'the members of the Civil Service behaved beautifully', if we perform our tasks and functions diligently and with decorum. Only then will we live with our work slogans, viz:

Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah
Hidup Selalu Berkhidmat
Mesra Dengan Rakyat
Berjasa, Berkerja, Berbakti

The fourth gift is one of being generously present in functions which is even more satisfying than generously giving presents or gifts. This is akin to seeing beyond the observable horizon. In the Civil Service, we very often receive invitations to attend functions ­ official, non-official and private functions. While it may not be humanly possible to attend to all functions such that the highest level of discretion has to be applied, the first rule, nonetheless, is to try to be generously present. The physical presence shows concern, empathy, understanding, caring and attention among others. Our presence will portray our genuine concern and interest in them as well as our support. How we react to being present or not present can portray our attitude towards things, either in a positive or non-positive way. We should in fact feel proud to be and for being invited as we are perhaps the chosen few being called. On this count, it is therefore of utmost concern to find dinner tables or seats being empty during official functions due to non-presence of the invited guests. Non-presence can be embarrassing to the host and a matter of concern to the organizers as it may reflect their inability to organize. Moreover, non-presence can result in wastage of resources. To the invitees, a polite and definite answer is necessary and the habit to respond back needs to be inculcated ­ RSVP.

The fifth gift is the gift of being caring. Caring here is not confined only just to work associated with the disadvantaged group of societies, the marginalised, and the downtrodden. Caring here denotes the way we take care and handle public properties ­ like office buildings and their compounds or surroundings by ensuring that these are kept tidy and clean; like plants, equipments and vehicles where personal effort and care at all levels are needed if we are to reduce maintenance costs or if we can slow down the rapid wear and tear as well as overall deterioration. It is perhaps in this area that we can extend our private interests or personal likes (things I like to do) so that we take care of the office buildings and vehicles like the way we do to our own abodes and properties. These should be treated like our own assets.

The sixth gift is the gift of being able to show, exude and bring hope, confidence and optimism to those we are serving especially in a world today that is ever changing and painted with uncertainties. Many people who are in need would want to hear a comforting, responsive, trustworthy and ever ready friend, ally or support to resolve their issues and address their problems. For when there is no one to turn to, it can lead to pain, dismay, helplessness and hopelessness. The Civil Service, however, is that institution that has been and will always be around to work with the people, in the interest of public values. Many times, it can happen though not talked of loudly that the Civil Service, whatever their level of authority is incumbent to serve ordinary persons with total commitment, and thus would leave lasting impressions. In fact, these encounters often happen at the ground level ­ Divisions, Districts and Sub-districts. This readiness and commitment to serve is yet another gift that we all can be proud of. Moreover, the Civil Service as a team has a pool of expertise, skills, administrative, managerial and organizational experience to rely upon.

Seventh, we want to add to this list the gift of valuing silence as distinct from remaining silent. Today, we have too many craps, complaints, gossips ­ written and unwritten ­ and those that have crept into the media particularly the Internet. Valuing silence here would mean valuing our inner world rather than being drowned into anxieties. The opposite of not remaining silent means getting involved with diatribes, criticism and counter-criticism. It can only lead us to join the bandwagon to criticize others and their failings which will not be productive. For the Civil Service, our valuing silence would mean refocusing our energy to undertake other tasks, but take the affirmative approach by being friendly, listening attentively, participate and engage with people so as to take a genuine concern in their interest and be caring.

The eighth is the gift of volunteering. Volunteering is the opposite of being mercenary. Volunteering denotes the love, liking, willingness and readiness to do things and extend our hands. Volunteering is more than just 'doing things I like and therefore I will do and do them well'. It is also about 'doing things that I am not familiar with, or doing things I do not necessarily like'. But in the latter case, it is doing things readily and doing them well. As a common practice, it is often possible to do things well whatever the nature of or category of work because the Civil Service always work as a team. Besides, the Civil Service team is often resourceful because of its ready pool of resources. As a team, the Civil Service can mobilize its expertise and skills, as well as being ever present at all levels ­ Divisions, Districts and Sub-districts, and at all times.

The ninth gift is the gift of helping people and more so when people are in dire needs. Related to this is the case of being immediately present when there is a mishap afflicting victims of natural disasters. Imagine the case when there is a draught and there is no water to consume; or a whole longhouse or bazaar being razed to the ground by fire, or if there is a landslide or flood. The Civil Service through its administrative machinery on the ground can always be mobilized speedily. In the larger context of the public service, we will be witnessing the police, military, rescue teams and our leaders moving into the scene. Very often, it not only sets up its operation room but also liaise with its administrative arm at immediate notice.

The tenth and final gift is the gift of solidarity which is manifested in us being able to work as a team. Teamwork provides synergy and support. Teamwork recognizes that each and every individual plays an important role and together makes up the whole. In the Civil Service, we see the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies at the Central or Headquarters level. We further see Divisional, District and Sub-district offices at the ground level. These offices have their specific portfolios, responsibilities, functions and tasks. Each would be manned by their own officers and staff having both the requisite skills, expertise and experiences. Thus, when we together consolidate our individual effort into a team effort, we can provide that force that moves and make things happen. Thus, when we evince that show of solidarity, unity and esprit de corps amongst us, it will convey and portray confidence to those who need and await for our service.

While the list may not be exhaustive, we shall confine these as ten lifetime gifts. In conclusion, we wish to reiterate that in the search for core values in the Civil Service, and more so for the Sarawak Civil Service, we need to be mindful that we have a wide range of clients to serve. Each client has different types and levels of needs and expectations. These needs and expectations change over time, and so are the members of the Civil Service who come and go such as when we are first appointed into the Service and then retired. We see the passing of the baton, so to speak. Over the years, values also change. Consequently, we are always in search of values from time to time. Nonetheless, there are core values that remain with us and can be passed from one era to another or from one generation to another. Hence, we have talked here in terms of lifetime gifts ­ ten lifetime gifts from civil servants. These gifts explain and encapsulate the nature of our jobs as we continue to produce and deliver public goods and as we uphold public values so as to address public interests.