Answer for Oral Question PL194 & PL224

QUESTIONS

Yang Berhormat Awang Zainol bin Haji Mohamed

YANG BERHORMAT AWANG ZAINOL BIN HAJI MOHAMED asked the MENTERI DI JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI to state whether the Government would consider implementing, on a pilot basis, a rotating work-from-home arrangement, for example one day a week for ministries or departments, as a long-term approach to reducing traffic congestion during peak hours, improving work-life balance and assessing its impact on public service productivity before being gradually expanded?

Yang Berhormat Dayang Chong Chin Yee

YANG BERHORMAT DAYANG CHONG CHIN YEE asked the MENTERI DI JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI to state the latest status of the proposal to provide two consecutive rest days per week to officers and staff of the Public Service under the Work-Life Balance Policy for All Workplaces, as one of the key actions under the Mental Health Action Plan 2022–2025, following the Government’s policy development studies and workshops.

ANSWERS

Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri

The Public Service Department (JPA) has prepared a working paper on Flexible Working Arrangements or Flexible Working Arrangement (FWA) in the Public Service, which also encompasses a proposal to restructure the Government’s working days into a non-split weekend.

This proposal paper has been presented during several high-level management meetings to obtain initial feedback from the relevant parties. Among the matters raised were the need to establish an appropriate monitoring mechanism, consideration of pilot implementation, as well as implications for efficiency and productivity, operational continuity and the accessibility of service delivery.

Other aspects examined included the availability of infrastructure and technology, the suitability of functions and the ability of officers/staff to implement the proposed arrangement, the need to adapt or restructure work processes, business continuity, as well as taking into account the demographic composition of the Public Service workforce, which largely consists of the support group.

This examination will take into account the differing operational and service delivery requirements of each Ministry and Department, as well as further expanding the involvement of stakeholders to ensure a more comprehensive assessment and to take various perspectives into consideration.

Both proposals are undergoing a thorough examination process to ensure that any policy decisions made are based on objective assessments, the views of stakeholders and the requirements for effective public service delivery.