I recall an incident many years ago, when I was much younger than today. A former classmate of mind was questioned on his ambitions by a teacher. He pondered on it for close to a minute before smiling said, "Government" with a smug look plastered all over his face. "GOVERNMENT". That was all he said. We live in a country where "industry" means a choice between the government or private sector. It doesn't matter which part of civil service he's employed in. And the sad but is - most people here share his views.
So what is it that makes employment with His Majesty's Government so sought after? In my opinion, it can be narrowed down to two specific reasons
1. An iron rice bowl
2. Non-accountability
Iron rice bowl
His Majesty's Govenment generally does not make it a habit of firing it's employees, excluding cases of serious misconduct. In most cases, they are "transferred".
Non-Accountability
I am employed in the private sector where the bottomline rules all. Profit keeps food on the table and the bottomline is the key. KPIs are put in place to ensure everyone and everything is in it's place in the right time. Or rather, that's what KPIs are meant to do. Take a quick trip down to any civil service office and look at the work flow they have. Nothing is in it's place and noone knows who is supposed to do what. Let me not mention the many coffee and tea breaks they are "entitled" to have.
The question that comes into mind is - Is the government employing them for the sake of employment?
2 comments:
It's common knowledge that a certain private company (OK, semi-privatized company) in Brunei is having a darn difficult time retaining local talent. New hires come in while they wait for word on their application to Shell or the government. When the application is approved, they happily pay whatever penalty is dictated by their contract and head over to "greener pasture".
I have friends who have done this and it has only recently given me new insight. My friends who have opted to work with the government or with Shell share one common trait: they want to start families. We're barely passed 25 and some of them have already had their first child while others are expecting. Then it dawned on me that starting and raising a family is itself an ambition (a very noble one at that) even if I don't share in it at this point in my own life.
If you're starting a family you'd naturally want stable income. In fact, if you knowingly and purposely chose to risk your income you'd be crucified for foolishly gambling away your family's future. I think the reason that many people are content to get a government job and start a family is because it is that easy to do in Brunei compared to other countries. If you have an advantage, why not take it?
I have a handful of other friends who are actively trying to promote whatever cause they see fit in Brunei. Since I'm in the IT field most of my contacts are trying to push for some aspect of IT to play a greater role in the country. These friends tend to be single, laden with fewer responsibilities and (sadly) foreigners.
The reason I'm saying all this is because I don't have an answer to your question about whether the government is hiring for the sake of employment. I see it as a chicken-and-egg problem: which came first the government hiring or the aversion to risk? Instead, I propose that to break this cycle more ambitious Bruneians need to be raised. For that, Brunei needs to have something exciting to offer foreigners and locals alike. And we're not doing to well in this department.
Here's a hypothetical situation that I hope will help illustrate my point: if Jerudong Park had been properly developed, marketed and maintained as a real world-class fun park, would the boost in tourism not tempt more locals to think about entering the tourist industry? The excitement (Jerudong Park) encourages the ambition.
I'm a third year uni student thinking about my future career.
Public servitude comes with the monthly paycheck and yearly bonus, at times regardless of the amount of effort and passion one puts into one's work. Private sector employment comes with the autonomy for creativity and initiatives.
That's how I see it. Security OR Autonomy. Right now, the prospect of being able to quit uni, get a diploma and apply for a government job and enrol for a lifetime of serving higher-ups, 7 to 5, 5.5 days a week is very tempting...
The point where I make the decision is still a long way off, but it pays to get a reality check first.
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