Rude civil servants: If you’re not up to the job, just leave

LAST Friday, Sarawak Federal Secretary Md Yahaya Basimin told off rude civil servants who work at service counters.

“It is sad to say that some civil servants in the front line are rude when handling their clients and this will certainly hurt their feelings,” he said when officiating at an event in Kuching.

Yahaya was also quoted as saying that such negative attitudes, if left unchecked, would paint a very bad image of government service counters as a whole.

I’m sure we can all agree with Yahaya. In fact, it’s not only rude civil servants who put people off. Anyone manning service counters, from telephone operators to fast food chain crew members, will be a disgrace to their companies if they do not know how to handle clients and customers in a friendly manner.

A simple greeting like, “Can I help you?” instead of retorting with, “What do you want?” will make a big difference in how we feel first-hand. It’s feeling whether we will receive the help or service we need, or if they are trying to get rid of us as fast as possible.

Let me share with you this encounter of the rude kind that I had at the Kuching International Airport on the afternoon of Aug 22. It was an immigration officer who was rude to me.

Coincidentally, the Federal Secretary spoke on the subject at a function of the Sarawak Immigration Department — the launching of the Malaysian Passport Renewal Kiosk (Kippas) at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar in Simpang Tiga.

I arrived in Kuching that day from Kuala Lumpur. I was about to join the queue at the immigration counter when a foreign lady approached me, asking whether she had to fill the disembarkation form. For a moment, I was lost. I was not sure whether a foreign visitor to Sarawak would need to do so since she came in from Kuala Lumpur and not from a foreign country.

However, as the queue was quite long, I suggested she fill the form and led her to a counter to do so. I thought there was no harm in taking a minute or two just to fill in the form rather than wasting more time later in case there was a need to do so.

Then one female immigration officer (let’s call her Amah) walked by and I enquired whether it was necessary for a foreigner to fill the disembarkation form.

Without a smile and in a rather bossy and rude tone, Amah pointed to a message board and retorted, “Can’t you read English?”

Hey, what was that! I was taken aback by her reply. That was totally uncalled for. Wouldn’t it be so much easier and certainly more pleasing and friendly just to give me a simple “Yes” or “No” for an answer.

“No, I don’t read English”, I replied sarcastically to Amah in English. Then she walked away, without telling us what we wanted to know.

So the foreign lady dutifully took my cue and started filling the form. A moment later, another lady immigration officer (this one was younger and more helpful and friendly) approached us and politely informed us that there was no necessity to fill the form.

This was it! Why didn’t Amah tell us that in the first place? That she deliberately made us do the unnecessary was something I cannot tolerate. I must tell her a thing or two and I did so.

This time, it was unfortunate for Amah that she was still hanging around the area. I approached her and said that I wanted a word with her. I glanced at her name tag and remembered her name.

“Don’t you think that by asking me whether I can read English, even after conversing with you in English, was very rude of you? Why did you do that?” Then, I asked her whether she is a Sarawakian. After she confirmed that she is one, I told her that as a fellow Sarawakian, I was very ashamed of her.

“You are an immigration officer. You are in the front line of visitors coming to Sarawak. Your manners will put people off. Their first impression of Sarawak will be negative. You are doing a disservice to our state,” I told Amah.

I said I was very disappointed with her for not answering the simple query I first posed to her.

“Why didn’t you just tell me that there was no need to fill in the disembarkation form? I asked you for help and you were not only unhelpful but you chose to be rude to me. Now, what have you got to say?”

Then, for the first time in our conservation, Amah looked into my eyes and apologetically said, “I’m sorry”. I told her that I accepted her apology.

From her looks, I could guess that Amah was near retirement age and I asked her when she would be retiring. “In three months,” she told me.

“There you go. For your last three months as an immigration officer, you must do your best for your department and for your home state. Had it not been for your age, I would have lodged an official complaint with your director. I’m willing to forget this incident out of respect for you as an older person.

Have a happy retirement in three months time.” Those were my last words to Amah that afternoon.

I’ve heard worst things about immigration officers than just being rude. In a way, Amah was unfortunate to cross paths with me. I’m no ‘easy meat’.

As much as I believe in being compassionate to those who do me wrong, I know I must also make an effort to correct a wrong. Then there is hope that the wrong will not be repeated.

In case seniors at the Sarawak Immigration Department want to probe this little incident, I would humbly ask them to forget it. It’s my decision to forgive Amah and forget the episode. I will not lodge an official complaint.

As Amah had rightly and dutifully apologised, I consider the case closed.

As far as the Sarawak Immigration Department is concerned, I’m sure director Datu Robert Lian can concede that he has a lot of work to do. Having rude officers is one thing.

It’s much more serious if your officers are corrupt.

I can readily agree with Federal Secretary Yahaya who also said that the more severe cases of misconduct will be referred to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Then again, whether MACC is ‘toothless’ or has the ‘bite’ is another matter.

Let me conclude with some advice for civil servants. If you think that you are no longer up to the job, which you have been performing for donkey years, please leave. Why make yourself miserable and others too when you know that you can no longer perform?

Discard the civil servant mentality. There are many different things out there to do and other ways to earn a living. Go out and search for it.

Be happy in what you do for the remainder of your life even if it means less income and perks. Life is too short to be routinely miserable day in and day out.

(Comments can reach the writer at paulsir99@hotmail.com)


by Paul Sir. Posted on October 9, 2010, Saturday