Latest news with #CivilServants
Washington Post
11-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
State Department is firing over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The State Department is firing over 1,300 career diplomats and civil servants on Friday in line with a dramatic reorganization plan initiated by the Trump administration earlier this year. The department is sending layoff notices to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with domestic assignments in the United States, said a senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters ahead of individual notices being sent to affected employees.
South China Morning Post
06-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's outdated licence regime is a barrier to progress
Advertisement From taxi permits to hawker stalls and elderly care homes, the government's restrictive licensing policies betray a paternalistic approach that contradicts its proclaimed support for free-market principles. By capping supply through burdensome licensing requirements, the government disrupts the very markets it claims to foster. Take, for example, Hong Kong's iconic street markets, like the Ladies' Market in Mong Kok and Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei. These popular tourist destinations have not seen any new hawker licences issued since 1972. A report by the Legco Secretariat highlights how strict transfer conditions and the ageing of the licensees is likely to lead to a decline in some hawking activities. Meanwhile, the issuance of taxi plates has been stagnant for more than a decade. When the same entity is responsible for both regulation and licensing, there is little motivation to increase supply, as more licences would simply add to its workload. What began as a legitimate effort to mitigate safety risks and other negative impacts has devolved into bureaucratic inertia. Even if potential applicants meet all requirements, there is little incentive to issue new permits. This mindset leads to a 'better-safe-than-sorry' approach: why lift a decades-old freeze if maintaining the status quo incurs no immediate consequences? Civil servants contemplating the first new hawker licence in half a century are likely to fear the ramifications of public scrutiny and internal criticism, aligning with the Cantonese saying: 'No action means no mistakes.' Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei is one of Hong Kong's top tourist attractions. Photo: Xiaomei Chen This rigidity also stifles innovation. The drawn-out conflict between traditional taxis and Uber -style platforms is a textbook example. Ride-hailing's dynamic pricing and superior responsiveness deliver better services at a lower cost – so long as drivers and customers can transact freely. However, a licensing regime built around a narrowly defined taxonomy of 'taxi' or 'private hire' struggles to adapt to these disruptive innovations. Advertisement Moreover, entrenched licensees can wield disproportionate power, forestalling necessary changes. Taxi plate owners and drivers can organise strikes to block roads, while elderly care providers frequently escape scrutiny even in the face of repeated abuse allegations. In contrast, individual hawkers – many of whom are elderly and struggling to make ends meet – lack the clout to challenge arbitrary enforcement. This creates a system where those with power rarely align with those championing justice.
CNA
27-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Malaysia's Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah to take over Economy Minister's duties after Rafizi resignation
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah Azizan will take on the duties and functions of the Economy Minister, a month after Rafizi Ramli resigned from the position following his defeat in a party election. The Cabinet made the decision in a meeting on Wednesday (Jun 25), said its secretary Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar in a statement on Friday. Amir Hamzah's 'primary responsibility' is to review and restructure the contents of the 13th Malaysia Plan, which is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on Jul 31, said Shamsul Azri, who is also chief secretary to the government. Amir Hamzah will take into account additional information submitted by other ministries, as well as the sentiments of the Cabinet, he said. The 13th Malaysia Plan is a roadmap to tackle global shifts and domestic challenges and is set to be implemented from 2026 to 2030. Responding on Friday to Shamsul Azri's statement, former Economy Minister Rafizi said the last-minute decision to restructure the plan has raised concern among civil servants, market analysts monitoring national policy and the public. He questioned if the restructuring would be rushed and whether it would bypass the consultative process with stakeholders and experts, news outlet Malay Mail reported. He said politicising the plan would be 'a grave injustice to (civil servants) who have worked tirelessly — often for over 12 hours a day — over the past year'. Rafizi had said when he resigned on May 28 that the plan had been completed. It emphasises "comprehensive educational reforms, including several structural changes involving the Ministry of Education", Rafizi had said. "I hope the Cabinet will maintain some of the bold reforms related to the Ministry of Education in (the plan), even though I will no longer be part of the Cabinet." Rafizi stepped down after he lost the post of deputy president in his political party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar on May 23. He remains with the PKR and as Member of Parliament for Pandan. Rafizi's ally, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, resigned on the same day as him but his replacement has not been announced. Amir Hamzah, who was appointed Second Finance Minister in December 2023, thanked Anwar in a statement and said he had received feedback from fellow ministers indicating the need to revise the 13th Malaysia Plan to better reflect the aims of the government and sustain the momentum of economic reforms. Amir Hamzah is a member of the Senate, which comprises senators chosen for excellence in their respective professions and who represent minorities in society. He was appointed by Malaysia's King. He was previously chief executive of the country's Employees Provident Fund, one of the world's largest pension funds.
South China Morning Post
27-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Duty of Hong Kong civil servants to identify security breaches under new rules: Chris Tang
Civil servants, from cleaners to policymakers, will need to fulfil their duty to identify national security breaches under new guidelines that will soon be released, Hong Kong's security chief has said. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said that even though Hong Kong had returned to stability after the 2019 anti-government protests, national security risks remained as Western countries continued to use the city as an avenue to blockade China. 'External forces, like the West, in a bid to oppress us, will use Hong Kong for acts of blockade and suppression on our country. That won't change under the current geopolitical climate,' Tang said, citing a white paper on national security issued by the State Council, the country's cabinet, last month. The paper accused 'external forces' and 'certain individual countries' of posing threats to the mainland's security, including stirring up trouble in Hong Kong. Tang's comments come as the national security law approaches its fifth anniversary at the end of this month. The Beijing-imposed law came into effect on June 30, 2020, and criminalises secession, subversion, terrorist activities and collusion with foreign forces.
Free Malaysia Today
20-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
No more imported food at official events, Anwar tells civil service
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged civil servants and officials to be more mindful of the need to support homegrown produce. PUTRAJAYA : Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has directed all government departments to cease using imported goods, particularly food, at official events, in a bid to promote local products. Speaking at the finance ministry's monthly assembly, Anwar said that using local produce would not only bolster the local economy but would also open wider opportunities for local farmers to market their goods. 'If every government department follows this directive, it will create more opportunities for our farmers to supply local food ingredients,' he said. The prime minister also cited the example of neighbouring countries whom he said were committed to using local food products at all official functions. 'In Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, I've never been served imported food at any government-hosted official event. It's automatic for them to ensure that only local food is served,' he said. Anwar also criticised the preference by some parties for imported food products despite the government's clear stance. Calling the practice inconsistent with efforts to empower the local economy, he urged civil servants and officials to be more mindful of the need to support homegrown produce.
