CIVIL SERVANTS

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CIVIL SERVANTS:

(Abuse by members of the public): 19.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Prime Minister (a) whether the Government keeps track of the number of cases where civil servants are verbally or otherwise abused by members of the public; (b) whether this has contributed to the increase in work stress for civil servants or more resignations by civil servants; and (c) what plans does the Government have to ensure that civil servants are protected from unreasonable abuse by members of the public.

The Minister for Defence (Mr Teo Chee Hean) (for the Prime Minister): I thank Mr Lim for his concern for the well-being of our public officers.

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Sir, cases of abuse of public officers by members of the public do occur. Some members of the public become unreasonable or abusive, especially when they perceive that they do not get what they want. Some threaten harm, and on occasion use physical force.

There are provisions protecting public officers from verbal and physical abuse under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act and various sections of the Penal Code. There have been a few instances where legal action have been taken, and abusive members of the public charged and sentenced in court. Fortunately, such cases are infrequent.

While we do not track cases of abuse by members of the public centrally, our public agencies, especially those which often have to deal with many members of the public, monitor these cases at their level through various mechanisms, including case logs, incident reports and discussions with staff.

These agencies also brief their staff, especially those who serve the public directly, on the guidelines to adopt when serving abusive members of the public. Staff are also trained to manage and defuse difficult situations. In cases where members of the public continue to be abusive, we will protect our staff from further abuse, including disengaging and ceasing to serve the person who has been abusive, and when necessary calling the Police and taking legal action.

Mr Lim asked if such abuses have contributed to an increase in work stress or more resignations among civil servants. While such incidents certainly contribute to work stress among the affected officers, we do not have any direct evidence to suggest that such cases of abuse have led to more resignations.

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Members of the public should know that it is wrong for them to intimidate, threaten or abuse our public officers. The Public Service will continue to endeavour to create a conducive environment where public officers can continue to provide courteous and good service to the public, and members of the public can return that courtesy. Good mutual understanding and courtesy between public officers and members of the public will go a long way in helping our public officers serve all of us better.