blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M
PUBLIC OFFICER / PENJAWAT AWAM
1. Kita tinggal di Malaysia. Kita adalah rakyat Malaysia. Samada negara kita bangun dengan pesat dan memberi kebahagiaan hidup kepada kita bergantung kepada kita sebagai warganegara, sebagai citizen.
2. Samada negara mengamal sistem pemerintahan kuku besi atau demokrasi atau “kleptocracy” terpulang kepada kita. Kita yang memilih. Kita yang membenar.
3. Kita lihat di negara lain, di Brazil, di Korea Selatan, di Zimbabwe dan Afrika Selatan rakyat yang menentukan tingkah laku pemimpin. Apabila sahaja didapati pemimpin disyaki menyeleweng, terlibat dengan rasuah rakyat bertindak menyingkirkan pemimpin.
4. A reporter asked me a silly question. He asked whether Najib (Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak) the Prime Minister of Malaysia is a Public Officer.
5. It is a silly question to ask because any dope would know that the Prime Minister is a public officer. That is why he has access to Government papers, including Cabinet papers, and he can preside over the Cabinet, make decisions for the Government and have his decisions carried out by public officers.
6. A man in the street cannot do this – cannot preside over the Cabinet and instruct Government officers to do whatever. If just about anybody can do this, then either anyone can be classified as a public officer or we cannot have Prime Ministers, Ministers and secretaries to Ministries because everyone can adopt these titles and tell Government officers to do whatever.
7. Najib bin Tun Razak is the Prime Minister of Malaysia and he has his authority over the Government in accordance with the laws of the country. Since the Prime Minister is a public officer, therefore Najib is a public officer.
8. If the Prime Minister is not a public officer then there can be no public officers. The Prime Minister cannot be a private officer. If he is a private officer how come he presides over the Cabinet and have authority over the Government.
9. If we are confused and we are not clear about what and who is a public officer, then we should make a clear definition of a public officer. If we are all agreed then we can call all CEOs of public companies, public officers. Then the Prime Minister will not be a public officer. What should we designate him as – private officer? We can of course. We can pass a law to say a Prime Minister is a private officer.
10. But until we do that the understanding of all sane people is that the Prime Minister is a public officer.
11. Segala-galanya boleh ditentukan oleh kita sebagai warganegara negara ini.
12. Kita boleh buat definisi sesuka hati kita, bahkan menukar kepimpinan Kerajaan seperti yang dilakukan oleh warganegara Brazil, Korea Selatan, Zimbabwe dan Afrika Selatan.
