From Reports to Replies: Civil Servants Cannot Ignore the Public

 

When the Deputy Home Minister declared in Parliament that refusing to accept police reports is a serious offence punishable by dismissal, he was not merely speaking about police procedure. He was affirming a principle: public officers exist to serve the public, not to obstruct them. LINK

Yet across Malaysia, ordinary citizens face another form of obstruction — civil servants who simply ignore emails.

 

The Parallel Misconduct

Police refusal to accept reports: A denial of access to justice.

 

Civil servants ignoring emails: A denial of access to administration.

 

Both are breaches of the same framework: the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993 and the Pekeliling Kemajuan Pentadbiran Awam (PKPA). Both acts amount to dereliction of duty.

 

The Legal and Administrative Framework

Piagam Pelanggan (Customer Charter): Agencies must respond to complaints or inquiries within 15 working days.

 

PKPA Circulars: Officers must acknowledge and act on correspondence promptly.

 

Public Officers Regulations 1993: Neglect of duty and refusal to act are disciplinary offences, ranging from warnings to dismissal.

 

If refusing to accept a police report is a dismissible offence, then ignoring emails beyond 15 working days should be treated with equal seriousness.

 

Consequences of Silence

Administrative breakdown: Citizens forced to resend emails, escalate complaints, or resort to registered mail.

 

Legal exposure: Officers risk disciplinary boards for dereliction of duty.

 

Public trust erosion: Silence breeds cynicism, fuels anger, and undermines confidence in governance.

 

This is not a minor lapse. It is a systemic failure that mirrors the refusal of police to accept reports — both deny citizens their rights.

 

Malaysia cannot afford a civil service that treats public correspondence as optional. Silence is not neutrality — it is misconduct.

 

If the Deputy Home Minister is right that refusing reports is a serious offence, then ignoring emails must be recognized as the same. Citizens deserve answers, not silence. Accountability must extend from the police station to the education office, from reports to replies.