SELAYANG, March 16 — The proposal to implement a work-from-home (WFH) arrangement among civil servants must be examined thoroughly to ensure that productivity and the smooth operation of public services are not affected.
State executive councillor for women empowerment and social welfare Anfaal Saari said any implementation of WFH should be refined at every level of the organisation, involving management, senior officers, as well as support staff.
It should also take into account the current global situation, including developments in the Middle East conflict that could affect the world economy.
“If the conflict continues and oil prices keep rising, it could pose challenges almost similar to the situation during the COVID-19 pandemic's Movement Control Order.
Anfaal was speaking at a media conference during the Jualan Agro MADANI programme organised by the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority at Dataran Ilmu Bandar Baru Selayang today.
She added that although several countries, including Thailand and Vietnam, have proposed implementing work-from-home arrangements, the government must carefully evaluate the implications for the public service.
The councillor emphasised that harmony at all levels of the departments must also be safeguarded to ensure that the service delivery system for the people is not affected.
“In Selangor, even if WFH is implemented, it may not occur simultaneously across all departments. Instead, it could be carried out in a targeted and phased manner as was done during the MCO previously,” Anfaal said.
On Friday (March 13), Unity Government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the proposal to implement WFH for the public sector would be decided during the Cabinet meeting tomorrow.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has instructed the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and the Public Service director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Wan Abdul Aziz to study the proposal to ensure that several matters can be coordinated.
On Wednesday (March 11), the Thai caretaker government instructed relevant federal agencies and state-owned enterprises to implement a WFH policy as an energy-saving measure amid geopolitical uncertainty in West Asia.
On Tuesday (March 10), Vietnam’s Trade Ministry urged local enterprises to encourage employees to work from home to reduce fuel consumption following supply disruptions and rising prices caused by the conflict involving Iran.
