PUTRAJAYA:The Public Service Department Employment Registration System Portal (SPA9)  has received almost nine million views and almost 200,000 registrations from job applicants in five days after its pre-launch on Sept 28.<br /> <br /> SPA9 is the online employment application registration form which replaced the Job Registration Form in the Public Service (SPA8i) with several improvements carried out.<br /> <br /> Public Service Commission (SPA) chairman Tan Sri Zainal Rahim Seman, when launching SPA9 here, yesterday, said applications through SPA9 could apply for employment in the general federal public service and four states, namely, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Perlis and Penang.<br /> <br /> ‘’SPA9 provides job-matching facility to identify the job schemes which are suitable with the qualifications of the applicants,’’ he said in his speech.<br /> <br /> With the concept of security features and confidentiality of information, now the process of qualification reviews, job applications and screening through SPA9 became much easier and consumer-friendly, he said.<br /> <br /> ‘’As assurance of data with more integrity and transparency are obtained through smart data sharing with various government agencies involved,’’ he said.<br /> <br /> He gave examples of information such as academic, confirmation of recognition of academic qualification and citizenship which were automatically generated directly from the system integrated with various agencies.<br /> <br /> ‘’For the posts of government vehicle drivers, the status of driving license ownerships can be checked with the Road Transport Department while information on the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia would be checked with the Malaysian Examination Council. Information on examination results could be checked with the Examination Board,’’ he said.<br /> <br /> To a question when met by reporters later, Zainal Rahim said there were 13,000 to 15,000 vacancies for permanent and contract jobs in the public sector annually.<br /> <br /> He said 1.25 million job applications were received by SPA a year.<br /> <br /> In accordance with the new normal, SPA had adopted the online interview approach via video conferencing which had been tested with candidates from Sabah and Sarawak following the implementation of the Movement Control Order, he said.<br /> <br /> ‘’Some candidates are more comfortable undergoing interviews online compared to face-to-face with a panel of interviewers which can cause them to be nervous,’’ he added.<br /> <br /> -- BERNAMA