Sultan wants improved PS

The Sultan of Brunei has called for improvements in the Public Service during a national address on his 64th birthday.
   The Sultan said productivity and work ethics needed to be improved in the PS, particularly in the Departments of Health and Education.
   He called for Key Performance Indicators to be used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Public Service.
   “Through this methodology, we are able to measure to what extent can the public service carry out its responsibilities in meeting the demands of this country and the public,” The Sultan said.
   He said the Department of Health in particular needed to introduce assessments, especially for its medical professionals.
   “We do not want our hospitals to become frightening places just because the doctors always fail to provide their services.”
   He said in the Department of Education, new and effective techniques were needed but not at the expense of national priorities such as religious proficiency.
   The Sultan said that Muslim children in Brunei needed to be proficient in religion, and that to do so, the education system must prioritise religious education.
   He said that weak religious beliefs would thrust the nation into disaster and suggested that without strong religious restrictions, young people would become susceptible to crime and drugs.
   “This cannot be taken lightly,” he said.
   “As conscious people, we must remedy it and that remedy is religion.”