WFH: Civil Servants Go Remote, Public Services Unaffected

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Bernama) -- The implementation of the Work from Home (WFH) policy for the federal public sector nationwide begins today, with government services to the public, particularly counter transactions, continuing to operate as usual.

A Bernama check found that most federal government buildings and premises have minimal staff in the office, but counter services run smoothly, including Urban Transformation Centres (UTC) for critical services like the Immigration Department and Royal Malaysia Police.

Putrajaya, the federal administrative capital, is noticeably quieter today than usual, with most civil servants in the ministries working remotely from home.

Most government buildings are now in a low-power state, with dimmer lights than usual and just half the lifts in operation.

Azlina Suliman, an accountant at the Consultancy Division of the Accountant General’s Department, said civil servants have taken the WFH policy in stride, following a clear schedule and structured workflow.

Azlina said officers must log tasks in the system, use office laptops, prioritise core duties, and set up a conducive workspace to maintain office-level productivity during the WFH period.

“When working from home, I log in and out online, check in hourly, and use a virtual private network (VPN) for system access. Fieldwork and task assignments carry on unchanged,” she said.

The WFH implementation is a strategic response to the global energy crisis arising from the West Asia conflict, and applies only to Federal civil servants in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and state capitals living more than 8km from their office.

The policy does not apply to security, defence, health, or education staff. WFH days depend on the state's weekly holiday: Tuesday-Thursday for Sunday holidays; Monday-Wednesday for Friday holidays.

Past working from home experience during the COVID-19 pandemic helped Mohd Azhari Othman, 51, a civil servant in KEDAH, prepare more orderly, including daily arrangements to ensure work runs smoothly.

-- BERNAMA