Government to streamline civil service attendance system - PSD

Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman said there are still gaps that need to be improved in the system and he is confident that it will be overcome immediately.

"The first phase of the MCO implemented by the government in March 2020 was during the school holidays so many parents were in the kampung and we needed to manage (things) so that they could return to their respective workstations.

"But in the current situation, the second round of the MCO was announced on Jan 11 and it was not during the school holidays. However, some took the opportunity to run back to the kampung, so we had to ask all department heads to do random checks," he said last night on the programme "Bicara Naratif: Norma Baharu Perkhidmatan (Services in the new normal)”, a Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) production.

Mohd Khairul Adib said to ensure that civil servants are at home and can immediately come to work when asked by the department head, several methods such as displaying their current locations and being able to conduct video calls will be used.

He said although civil servants were allowed to work from home (WFH), at any time the head of department could order them to report for work at the office.

"This WFH is new (culture) in the working environment of the public sector. Employees can work from home upon being instructed by the government or after obtaining permission from their respective department heads," he added.