Minister of Civil Service Hun Many expressed his determination to lead the sector successfully, aiming to meet the expectations of senior leadership and the public.
He made the commitment while addressing reporters during the recruitment of new civil servants into the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) on March 3.
Many, who chairs the examination committee, acknowledged the essential role of contributions and responsibility from all officials within the ministry.
He reiterated his commitment to fulfilling his duties effectively, ensuring that neither the senior leadership nor the public would be disappointed.
“Certainly, this is well understood by us and forms part of our mission. I wish to reiterate our desire to see the civil service sector succeed under the leadership of the ministry. We are deeply committed to not letting down the top-level leadership and the public,” he added.
Many urged candidates to strive for excellence, echoing the words of Prime Minister Hun Manet: “If you pass, do so with pride; if you fail, fail with dignity”.
He encouraged those who were unsuccessful in the exam not to lose hope but to attempt it again.
He also invited the public to observe his performance, anticipating it would contribute further to the improvement of the sector.
Om Yentieng, head of the ACU, stated that the induction of officials into the unit and various other ministries and state institutions has enhanced the quality of state employees under the ministry’s guidance.
“We aim for all examinations to be of high quality ... Some ministries have already achieved this. Therefore, I believe that to maintain a uniformly high standard of civil servants, we should not favour any individual over another, but rather ensure equal excellence. This forms a new principle of the examination process,” he explained.
Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, praised the exam process, emphasising its role in reforming the sector effectively.
“To bring about fruitful reforms and ensure fair competition in the civil service sector, the [ministry] must be bold in removing ineffective officials, recognising effective ones, and creating opportunities for intellectuals to serve society, irrespective of age, sex or race,” he stated.
“So called ‘famous’ individuals should not be hired based on their names, officials should be hired for their technical abilities rather than political considerations,” he added.
Peou pointed out that while there is no shortage of civil servants in ministries and institutions, there is a lack of will and opportunity for competition.