Chief Sec: Use PEMUDAH online service instead

The Star, 22 October, 2007.
Soo Ewe Jin

PETALING JAYA: Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan has called on the private sector to stop using runners and consultants in its dealings with the Government.

They should use online services that are already available as sometimes additional costs and delays are not caused by the Government but by these third parties.

In an e-mail interview with The Star , Mohd Sidek urged the private sector, whether individuals or trade associations, to fully use the www.pemudah.gov.my website to file in issues which they have personally encountered.

“To be effective, the feedback should include both parts – the description of the problem, and more importantly the suggestion to overcome.

“Complaints are easily made, but the thinking through of a solution to a problem is harder. Pemudah will review all suggestions and if found practical will have them implemented.

“This website is on all the time and we need not wait for the annual ministerial dialogues to raise issues,” he said. 

Pemudah is a task force set up on Feb 7 this year that puts senior public and private officials together to untangle red tape and help smoothen the public delivery.

Sidek, who co-chairs Pemudah with Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers president Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon, said one of the strengths of the task force was the collaborative problem-solving and decision-making between the private and public sectors.

“The task force provides a platform which enables the private sector to become part of the solution process instead of assuming the role of merely highlighting areas of concern for the government to address.

“By being part of problem-solving process, better and more pragmatic solutions are achieved,” he said.

The Chief Secretary notes that the bulk of feedback channelled through the Pemudah website comprises grievances faced by the public on matters which are not related to the business environment.

“But Pemudah adheres to the “no wrong-door” policy, so even though the Pemudah website is dedicated to business-related feedback, non-business related feedback is not turned away. Instead, the feedback is channelled to the relevant agencies and Pemudah monitors the feedback until the matter is resolved.”