Even When You Work From the Office, We Get No Replies — So What Happens When You Work From Home, YB Masidi?

 

Even when you and other government servants (sorry, masters) work from the office, I don't get replies to emails and letters. Now what can we expect when you work from home?

That was my quick reaction to YB Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun’s recent statement on Sabah’s plan to follow the Federal Government’s Work From Home (WFH) policy.

Just days ago, the State Finance Minister (who is also Deputy Chief Minister) confirmed that the Sabah Government is coordinating the implementation of WFH for its approximately 20,000 state staff. This is in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that federal employees will begin WFH from April 15.“Yes, we will follow,” Masidi said. “The state office is in the process of putting everything in order before we make an official announcement.”

“Putting everything in order.” Those words hit hard — because from where most Sabahans sit, the current “order” in government offices already leaves a lot to be desired.

For years, ordinary citizens have struggled with slow or non-existent responses to emails, letters, and public inquiries. Simple applications drag on for months. Complaints disappear into a black hole. Frontline services often feel more like an obstacle course than public service. And this happens even when staff are physically present in their offices, with all the supposed systems, files, and colleagues right there.

So, tell me, YB Masidi — if the system already struggles with basic responsiveness and accountability under normal office conditions, how exactly will scattering 20,000 civil servants across their homes improve things?

Many parts of Sabah still face unreliable internet, power cuts, and limited digital infrastructure. Will officers working from home have proper tools, clear performance targets, and real monitoring? Or will this simply become an upgraded version of the existing “ghosting” culture — now with the official blessing of government policy?

I’m not against flexible work arrangements in principle. In the private sector, targeted WFH has sometimes boosted productivity when paired with clear deliverables, proper technology, and strong accountability. But the public sector in Malaysia — and especially in Sabah — has long been measured more by attendance and paperwork than by actual results delivered to the rakyat.

This policy, framed as a response to energy costs and global uncertainties, risks becoming yet another perk for the administrators while the public pays the price in even longer delays and greater frustration.

To YB Masidi Manjun and the rest of the Sabah Cabinet: If you are truly committed to modernising governance and “putting everything in order,” then WFH must come with real reforms, not just good intentions.

Set clear Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for responding to public emails and letters. Invest seriously in reliable digital platforms. Tie performance evaluations, increments, and promotions to measurable service delivery — not just logging in from home. Acknowledge the public’s legitimate concerns about accessibility instead of brushing them aside.

The people of Sabah are not asking for miracles. We are asking for basic competence, transparency, and responsiveness from those who are paid to serve us.

Whether you are working from the office or from home, the standard should remain the same: Do your job. Answer the rakyat. Deliver results.

Anything less is simply not good enough.

Here is a related post from 2022: LINK   

If only he or any of the other ministers I had written to had been responsible and taken action my son would not have to take legal action against LPPB, DBKK, Housing Ministry, and LJS.