"While attracted to the "iron rice bowl" of Government Service,
can a Civil Servant act independently, and not allow itself to be
subjected to the Political Influence and Directions of its
Political Master ?" Civil servants administer the policies
fashioned by the ruling party (whether it be PAP or some other
party in the future). So your question about civil servants acting
independently... independent of what? The policies of the
government? If civil servants are acting independently of current
policies, then what's the point of being in the civil service? And
I shld point out...civil servants administer policies by the
GOVERNMENT,not by the PAP. We work for the 1% Opposition Party, 99%
PAP. Perhaps, it is present in Singapore to a greater extent, but
ruling parties around the world get to stamp more of their
influence on current policies - see USA's policy change on stem
cell research? So do Civil servants follow the political directions
of the ruling party. Well, duh, hence the term civil servants. Man,
in the private sector you follow the direction of your boss dont
you? So in the civil service, the govt's your boss isnt it? Do you
act independently of your boss? If so, kudos, love. It's a job man,
when we put in our best, it's not always for the people for the
people in mind; we're trying to do our jobs to the best of our
abilities.
You are - of course - quite right with
your understanding that a Civil Servant's role is to execute
the tasks set for it by the decisions of the Government, which
is formed by the elected political party.
Unfortunately, in the Singapore context, your understanding can
be thrown out of the window, as in reality the role of the
Civil Servant - ‘in the manner of its significance and role that was
inherited from the British Administration' (*1) - has
become merely puublic servants executing the decisions
of the Ruling Political Party in Government.
The Civil Servants were supposed to be neutral and
independent of party politics, and should not allow themselves to
be drawn into any controversial political party.
Any such political issues involving inter-party matters are
supposed to be addressed by the Political Appointees in the
Government - i.e. the Ministers, Minister-of-State, or
the Parliamentary Secretaries apointed to the
Ministry.
The Parliamentary Secretaries are elected MPs, and are
different from Permanent Secretary, who are career Senior Civil
Servants - whose role is to provide expert advise to the Government
on administrative issues.
In the Singapore Context, the Civil Service is no longer
consulted, as after 52 years in continuous political office
- the Ruling Party has its own "think-thank" and persons who
are experienced with varied issues that the Ruling Party prefer to
depend.
The Civil Service has become no more then an executor of
decisions made by the Government, and with the dominance of the
Ruling Political Party - the Civil Servants
will seldom act as neutral party in conducting
its relations with the Elected MP from the Alternative Political
Parties.
The arrogance of the Civil Servants protected by the PAP
Government can be seen in the ‘Press Secretary
of the Ministry of National Development being an ordinary Civil
Servant had even the temerity to make a direct response to reject
MP Low Thia Kiang’s statement criticizing the PAP for allowing its
non-elected Representative to announce the Neighborhood LUP
program’. (*2)
For a truly independent Civil Service, one can only look at the
wholly independent status of the Japanese Civil Servants, who will
set the administrative policies for the Government, while the
Government decide on the political agenda .
The Japanese model has taken the other extreme where "the tail
wags the dog". - while in Singapore, the People being the
master have lost control over the entire dog and its tail.
