Ex-MP calls for action on Indian share of civil service jobs

Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has called for action to address the disparity in the representation of Indians in the Malaysian civil service. Speaking today, Santiago stated that the government bears the responsibility to close this gap and should provide funding for targeted upskilling programmes and courses.

He pointed out that in order to accurately reflect the proportion of the Indian community in the population, the civil service needs to accommodate approximately 85,000 Indian officers. This figure is derived from the acknowledgment in Parliament last month that there are currently only 47,349 Indians among the 1.3 million civil servants, representing merely 3.63% of the total workforce, despite the Indian community comprising approximately 6.5% of the overall population. This discrepancy amounts to a shortfall of about 37,000 positions.

Santiago expressed disappointment in the government's response to this issue, calling for an explanation as to why the number of Indians in the civil service remains so low. He noted that between 2021 and 2025, only 5,289 out of the 194,807 applications submitted by Indians to the Public Services Commission were successful in resulting in appointments.

Santiago emphasized the importance of transparency in the recruitment process, questioning whether every community is granted equal consideration throughout the selection criteria. He argued that merely relying on merit as a justification for the existing disparities is inadequate, particularly when the underlying process remains shrouded in secrecy.

Santiago further contended that if applicants are being disqualified due to insufficient qualifications, the government has an obligation to bridge this gap by funding appropriate upskilling initiatives.