YOURSAY | ‘The box is where we stash our ‘donations’ and hide our dirty secrets…’

PM tells civil servants to ‘think out of the box’

Kingfisher: PM Najib Razak's call to civil servants to think out of the box and become more creative, innovative and productive is a very welcome encouragement, given the challenging times ahead for the nation in almost all indicators of development, including economic security, employment security, income security, health and safety security, etc.

There is little doubt that his call to the civil servants would be matched by his own creativity and productivity in governance.

Admittedly any civil service which, by its very nature, is prone to an "easy street and a flee under a glass bowl conditioning" would require a strenuous effort for dynamism.

However, his reinforcing statement that he has always stressed that he wants to be "given indications" leading "to solutions" is a pointed encouragement, one would think, considering that in recent times even the public at large has constructively engaged in open public debates on the effectiveness of national leadership and new strategies. There is hope, still.

Doc: At the current rate, the Malaysian economy, the ringgit and the international oil prices are free-falling; that and the fact that Malaysia is "maxed out" in borrowing money from international lenders, the next logical course of action is for the government to lay off a significant number of its massive and ineffective civil service force to make ends meet financially.

Hence the civil servants in the near future may have to “think out of the box” to save their job.

P Dev Anand Pillai: Are you sure, Mr PM? If they do start thinking out of the box, you may not be in Putrajaya anymore.

For your future, it will be best if they are kept happy within the box that your predecessors built for them, which you now helm.

Slumdog: I thought Malaysian civil servants are not paid to think, so how can they think outside the box?

Has Najib suddenly woken up to the fact that there have been massive wastages, corruption and reckless overspending within government agencies?

But is he leading by example and curtailing the expenditure in the PM’s Department?

Prudent: Indeed, the PM should know how to think outside the box. He has been thinking outside his box big time to explain 1MDB woes and his RM2.6 billion in his personal bank accounts.

Mojo Jojo: First, ask yourself this question: do members of your cabinet think outside the box? What sort of "creativity" has the upper echelon of government displayed after decades of power?

Would that include asking civil servants to make ends meet through e-commerce, and does that entail selling premium land to China at less than premium prices?

Let's not forget that the fish rots from the head down. If you can't show creativity by example, why would you expect minions with years of government indoctrination to suddenly emerge as genius innovators?

Hang Babeuf: "Try thinking outside the box!" - because that, the box, is where we stash our "donations" and hide our dirty secrets - and we don't want anybody looking and prying about in there, or wondering what's inside and how it got there…

Rupert16: Perhaps set up an online donation system where civil servants can follow Najib's example in soliciting "donations" from kind Arabs.

Najib has raised RM2.6 billion, and more so, from one donor without strings attached whatsoever.

So imagine if each one of our civil servants can get one Arab to part with US$1,000 a year, the country would have a big source of revenue and Najib can even reduce or do away with the GST (Goods and Services Tax).

Expect more Internet policing in 2016, warns IGP

The Analyser: Maybe Malaysians are making unseemly comments on Facebook because they have to live under an unseemly government who uses an unseemly police force to repress freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

And what a wonderful excuse to get more Malays to sit on their butts in front of a computer screen practising their Islamic bullying and human rights repression tactics.

Anonymous 2390431451362763: This is not about irresponsible personal attacks and slander.

As a Malaysian, I have the right to speak. Same goes to you. We all have the right to speak.

Although it contradicts with our views, the points made are valid. Don’t simply condemn and please respect other people’s view.

Using harsh words and calling people names is not part of our culture.

Negarawan: The IGP (inspector-general of police) has got all his priorities wrong. Malaysia is the only country where the head of police spends a disproportionate amount of time on Twitter and Facebook.

Please don't make the PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) into a laughing stock.

Survivor: Khalid Abu Bakar, we will monitor you as well.

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