The credibility of civil servants has never been questioned. Instead, opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) were merely raising concerns about the contents of the Malaysia–United States Reciprocal Trade Agreement (RTA) in the Dewan Rakyat.
In this regard, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the government should not overreact and point fingers at opposition MPs, suggesting that they were questioning the integrity of civil servants.
As someone who has previously served as Deputy Foreign Minister, he understands the demands of working across different time zones, having firsthand experience working alongside civil servants.
“If you meet civil servants, they will tell you that they serve the ‘government of the day.’ This means they follow the orders of the current government. We understand that. They have also served us when Perikatan Nasional was in power.
“What we are questioning is the minister who agreed with the articles we presented. Acting as if we disagree with civil servants—who work tirelessly across different time zones—is unwarranted. What is this about?
“I have been a Deputy Foreign Minister, and Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah has been a Foreign Minister. We know what it’s like to work across time zones. In eight days, I visited seven countries to meet and discuss with foreign leaders. That’s why we understand the workload of civil servants,” he said during a press conference at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Hamzah made the remarks in response to a statement by Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, who gave a special briefing on the Malaysia–US RTA in the Dewan Rakyat earlier today.
During the ministerial statement, Tengku Zafrul said that some parties had insulted civil servants, including the Chief Secretary of the ministry, though he did not specify who was responsible.
He expressed disappointment that some MPs mocked the efforts of the national negotiation team involved in the bilateral tariff discussions.
“I am disappointed when anyone in this House ridicules the work of our negotiation team. I understand if there are politically motivated attacks, but do not belittle the efforts and sacrifices of civil servants who ensure the country’s sovereignty remains intact.
“Some MPs even claimed that this agreement ‘sells out’ our beloved country. I want to ask again: are you implying that civil servants are also willing to sell out the country? Enough with the politics,” he added.
