Nurses wanted: Public Service Commission says 400 posts still open despite hiring push
KUALA KANGSAR, Sept 12 — The Public Service Commission (SPA) has filled more than 1,000 nursing vacancies in the public service to date, with open interviews being conducted to expedite the recruitment process.
Its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus said the move was among its immediate efforts to address the need to fill critical posts, particularly nurses, who are in high demand in the healthcare sector.
“To date, we need more than 1,400 (nurses) and we have already filled more than 1,000. So, we still need several hundred more to be filled urgently.
“These efforts are ongoing from time to time because there are also nursing positions that require candidates to undergo training, and this training takes time,” he told reporters after officiating at the SPA Madani Adopted Village Project Handover Ceremony at Kampung Orang Asli Ulu Chenein here today.
Also present were Department of Orang Asli Development Director-General Muhammad Akmal Ila Ahmad, SPA Secretary Datuk Ikhbal Hanam Mukras and Kampung Orang Asli Ulu Chenein village head Din Alang.
Ahmad Jailani said the open interview and walk-in methods were introduced early this year through several career carnivals organised by SPA nationwide, providing more opportunities for qualified youths to join the public service.
He said candidates with a diploma in nursing could walk in for an interview, while those who had yet to submit an online application could also complete their SPA application at the interview centre before attending the session.
“This is also a breakthrough effort that we have undertaken to expedite the process. If we use the usual process, there may sometimes be delays. Apart from nurses, SPA is also focusing on filling several other critical positions that require urgent recruitment, including Public Health Assistants.
“The demand for nurses is quite high, particularly as the healthcare industry has become increasingly important in the country. Therefore, the target is usually (recruiting) nurses into the public service, as the possibly better offers in the private sector mean that a large proportion of them join (the private sector) rather than the public service,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Jailani, who is also chairman of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, said the government did not prevent civil servants from seeking better employment opportunities after completing their contracts but instead, SPA would ensure that succession plans were implemented by continuously recruiting new personnel.
“They have contracts that have been stipulated in their appointments. However, once their contracts expire, they are free. We cannot prevent any government officers from seeking better employment opportunities.
“So, there are no restrictions in this regard and we give them the freedom to do so. Nevertheless, we believe the important thing is the succession plan, and we will find ways to recruit new personnel. I am confident that if we go to places such as Felda Chenein in Lenggong, we can find youths who want to join the service,” he said. — Bernama
*Editor’s note: The initials SPA stand for Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam, the Public Service Commission’s name in Malay.
