I REFER to "Wanted: A fairer public sector" (The Star, March 15) by M. Veera Pandiyan and would like to clarify and provide insights on few issues raised about the Adminstrative and Diplomatic (PTD) Service.
I joined the PTD service in 1981 and was promoted to Grade 54 in 2003 after 22 years of service.
The promotion of PTD officers is based on experience and core competency they have developed in their various postings in ministries and departments.
Based on this policy where the PTD officers are expected to evolve and enhance their knowledge, skill and exposure in various fields, I think it is quite unlikely for any PTD officer to reach Grade 54 after eight years of service.
A new PTD officer starts as a Grade 41 officer, and has to undergo five levels of Competency Level Assessment (PTK) before he can be considered for promotion to Grade 54.
Taking into consideration that Intan only conducts a few PTK courses for each level per year, there is always a long list of applications for these courses.
Normally, a PTD officer will have to wait for at least two years before he is called to attend a PTK course. In eight years, a PTD officer will only complete PTK 4 .
The prerequisite for promotion to Grade 54 is passing PTK 5.
The intake of PTD officers is small compared to other services like the teaching or medical services. This is because the nature and scope of its work, which is related to policy-making and planning, does not have a network of offices at state or district level.
But size does not make the PTD service an elitist service. The PTD service is coveted by many people because only a selected few are recruited every year into the service.
This is due to the fact that the recruitment and intake of PTD officers entail a stringent and rigorous selection exercise where many people have attempted but only those who have the academic qualifications, leadership qualities, creativity and problem-solving skills as well as the commitment to work the extra mile are selected to join the service.
The difficulty in gaining entry has indirectly made it a coveted post.
The selection exercise is structured into three processes. It begins with an examination where all potential candidates must take and pass. After passing the examination, the selected candidates will undergo a three-day camp conducted by Intan and JPA.
The camp is to evaluate the selected candidates for leadership, creativity, public speaking as well as problem-solving abilities. Those who pass this evaluation will be selected as PTD cadets who will be sent to Intan to undergo six months training before they are sent to various ministries and departments for six months of intensive attachment.
Their performance and contribution will be evaluated by Intan and the organisations they are attached to, and only those with excellent performances are appointed.
The stringent and rigorous selection exercise in recruiting only the best candidates means that the selection of candidates based on "cable-ability" does not arise.
Lastly, the PTD service is proud of its tradition of creating a strong espirit de corps and camaraderie among its officers. It will lead to the development of a culture of cohesiveness and networking in discharging their duties at various ministries and departments.
This cohesiveness must not be misconstrued as some sort of underground network to create the so-called 'brotherhood of mafioso' with its own agenda.
Instead it is actually a strength that has galvanised PTD officers to contribute selflessly to serve the nation with honour and distinction.
This strength will continue to drive us to complete the unfinished agenda of transforming and charting the next level of competitiveness of our nation.
B.E. WEE,
Tumpat, Kelantan.
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In some developed nations and some high-esteemed corporations / GLCs, they value the pedigree degree from the Top 20 universities globally because they get to pick from the cream of the crop. Fine, if thats the kind of graduates you want. In the end, you want performers, enthusiastic workers, people who think outside the box, people who can work around issues and problems, good interpersonal skills ... street smartness. We all know that a degree will not tell you any of those quality.
I think why Robert Kuok frowns upon MBAs is that an MBA gives a person who has had some biz background a sort of license that they are now biz experts, which is clearly a silly proposition. The most galling thing to me about MBAs is the "schematic way of thinking through problems". Got an issue, lets do a data collection and analyse them. Lets do a client testing before rolling out a product, do a client survey, etc... All these while inherently OK, are all ass-covering methods of doing business. I believe Steve Jobs would not have rolled out the iPhone, iPad if he had a room full of MBAs.
If you put an entire room full of analysts, fund managers and bankers with a company that wants to boost its liquidity, valuation and raise funds - how many will come up with the right solutions. There are textbook solutions which will prescribe the usual: bonus, placements, new share issues, analysts coverage, press coverage, etc. MBAs will always attack everything with financial modelling, variance and regression analysis, case studies, client surveys, ... cause thats what they have been trained to do.
The ones that get to achieve more in their careers will go further to focus on potential dilution, company's branding, management's perception in the market place, concentration of business in value-add segments, margin maintenance, longevity of market share/penetration/growth of segment, their place in the ladder of competitiveness, and get to the real end objectives of the owners (fear of losing control, no money or don't want to spend their own money, family control issues, lack of foresight/drive).
To do all that well, an MBA will not get you there, its the interpersonal skills, the connection you can make with people. Basic concepts, knowledge are just basic tools for you to leverage on.