The issue of civil servants in Putrajaya not picking up calls was once again highlighted in Parliament last Tuesday.
This time, it was raised by Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Loon, who said calls to Putrajaya were often unanswered, and if they were answered, the explanation given was often less than satisfactory.
Replying to Fong, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he was aware of the situation and would ensure that this matter was addressed for the benefit of the people.
Civil servants are the lifeblood of the government, and if there is no communication, there will be no service.
If people are not communicating, administrators would not know the problems faced by the rakyat, and the people will not get the solutions to their questions and problems.
While Fong is not the first MP to raise the issue in Parliament, this predicament is a daily problem faced by journalists.
It has become the norm, and journalists have become accustomed to ministers and civil servants who do not pick up their phones, reply to emails, WhatsApp messages, and even SMSes.
There have been cases of officers furnishing journalists with their phone numbers, but would oftentimes, not answer their phones.
As a journalist for close to two decades, I have been given many excuses when I ask them why they do not pick up their phones.
A decade ago, a public relations officer with a local council in Selangor said she had left her phone in the car when I asked her why my calls to her had not been answered for one week.
A former minister had shared his mobile number with journalists, but no one could reach him as he had barred all incoming calls.
There was also a government agency that took six months to reply to an email, while others chose to completely ignore emails sent by the media.
Astonishingly, the recent floods in Selangor saw civil servants not picking up their mobile phones when contacted by elected representatives and journalists.
There were those who only picked up calls during working hours, and this was apparently due to “instructions” given by their higher-ups to not answer their phones during their breaks, or after working hours.
Such an attitude would only infuriate the people and create resentment against the government. The reputation of these agencies and ministries would also be affected.
It is also odd to see government agencies “jump” when issues are raised on social media. It is as if social media (and not phones, or emails) is the official platform to channel complaints to the government.
If this was how things worked these days, then it was time to abolish any form of communication with the government via phones or email.
Perhaps social media would be more effective.
