Little Napoleons — Three Years On, Time for Change

 

Three years ago, I wrote about the “Little Napoleons” who thrive in our civil service — officers who ignore correspondence, flout the Perintah Am requirement to reply within two weeks, and act with impunity. Today, the same arrogance continues unchecked, despite promises of reform.

Rosemary AhPing of LPPB never replied to my emails then, and the silence remains.

DBKK officers continue to disregard public correspondence.

The Selangor Education Director has failed to respond to emails dated 5 and 6 June 2026.

This is not incompetence; it is a culture of impunity.

 

Policy vs. Reality 

The government replaced the old General Orders with the modern MyPPSM framework. On paper, this was meant to strengthen accountability. In reality, these rules remain “for public consumption” only. Enforcement is absent, and arrogance thrives.

The Breaking Point 

Warnings have been issued for years. The Daily Express said: “Reining in the Little Napoleons should start NOW before it is too late.” That warning has been ignored. The result is a civil service that undermines trust, governance, and the very idea of public accountability.

For too long, Malaysians have endured a civil service culture where arrogance thrives, correspondence goes unanswered, and accountability is absent. The Perintah Am and now the MyPPSM were meant to guarantee responsiveness and integrity, but they remain words on paper. The “Little Napoleons” continue to reign, unchecked and unchallenged.

This is no longer a matter of administrative reform. It is a matter of governance. When civil servants ignore the public, they undermine democracy itself. When leaders tolerate this impunity, they betray the trust of the people.

 

It has gone on for far too long. The time has come for Malaysians to demand more than cosmetic changes. We must insist on a government that enforces accountability, restores trust, and dismantles the culture of arrogance that has taken root in our institutions.

 

Change in government is not just desirable — it is necessary. Only through new leadership can we end the reign of the Little Napoleons and build a civil service that truly serves the people.