When should officers get back to work from Hari Raya?

DAP National Deputy Chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw calls on the Prime Minister's Department to inquire into how government departments deal with schedules for vacations and the minimal number of staff required for each department to function.

Yesterday, Dr Tan went to the Park Department at the City Hall Kuala Lumpur and found that it was not functioning. The director EncikZulkifli Endut was away until 14 November, 2005. The day before yesterday, the officer Encik Zairul Nizam was said to be on site inspection. He was supposed to be in yesterday, but was still on holidays. Dr Tan's memorandum on parks and sports centre was not handed in. A clerk wrote down the name of Puan Siti Zakiah for today.

This morning, Dr Tan went again to the department. Apparently, Puan Siti Zakiah accompanied her director for site inspection. Dr Tan waited until an officer Encik Nawawi who was familiar with the Menjalara Lake Garden, Kepong, appeared. He received the memorandum and explained the problems of the lack of water source for the lake, the uncompleted multi-purpose sports centre and the luxurious toilet. He then referred Dr Tan to Encik Hassan, the Director at the Architect Department and Puan Zarina, another architect, who were conversant with the luxurious toilet and the abandoned sports centre at Menjalara.

Dr Tan walked up the stairs from 20th to 23rd floor. Both Hassan and Zarina were still not back from holidays. They will return on 14 November, 2005. Dr Tan will be at the architects' office on that morning.

As Malaysia marches towards a developed state by 2020, the Government must work out effective schedules for over one million civil servants to go on holidays. Every department must be able to function at the height of a holiday season.

For example, yesterday a four-wheel drive vehicle rammed into the luxurious toilet, damaging the front part. Does the toilet at Menjalara Garden really cost RM400,000 or more?

In the past 5 years, the Architect Department has been supervising the construction of the multi-million ringgit sports centre at the park. What happens to the project? How much will it eventualy cost?

The lake at the garden has a tube well that pumps on alternate hours because the underground water is inadequate. During a dry season, the lake is virtually dry.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw
MP for Kepong