Cuepacs said race was never a factor in hiring or promoting civil servants.

“It is baseless, and the allegations made by her are an attempt to politicise the civil service,” its president, Adnan Mat, said in a statement.

He said this in response to the Seputeh MP’s claim that the civil service has been dominated by Malays since the introduction of the New Economic Policy in 1970, with few non-Malays applying to join the public service.

Kok also said the low salary structure and lack of opportunities for career advancement were among the key factors deterring non-Bumiputeras from joining the civil service.

Adnan rubbished the claims, saying the recruitment into the civil service was based on the candidates’ merit and competence, not on quota as set by the Public Services Commission.

“During her time in the previous government, she did not make an effort to advise the government to raise the civil service profession to the level she claims it should be,” he said.

Kok was the primary industries minister in the Pakatan Harapan government.

Adnan said there were fewer non-Bumiputeras in the civil service because they opted for the private sector, which offered better salaries than the government sector.

“Politicians must stop politicising the civil service to achieve their political interests.”

Two days ago, minister in the prime minister’s department Abdul Latiff Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat that about 90% of the 1.2 million civil servants were Bumiputeras.

He said this in a written reply to Kok, who had asked for a breakdown of the racial composition of the civil service.