Cuepacs president Adnan Mat said there were even some who dragged the public service into parliamentary debates, adding that this was unfair since the civil servants involved could not defend or explain themselves.

“The regulations limit the involvement of civil servants in politics. These should be respected by political leaders by not associating the public service and its members with any political disputes,” he said.

This was especially so when an issue that had not been verified as being true was introduced in a parliamentary debate.

“Civil servants always support whichever government is in power, regardless of political background,” he said, according to Bernama.

He reiterated that civil servants always upheld the principles of neutrality and professionalism.

Cuepacs’s statement comes in the wake of Bersatu’s Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal being suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for six months for referencing a poison-pen letter, naming the alleged mastermind of the Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd privatisation deal, during proceedings.

Wan Fayhsal had named an EPF employee as being allegedly involved in the takeover and also cited the negative treatment of the employee’s subordinates.

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said tabled the motion to suspend the opposition MP, saying this would serve as a reminder to MPs to be more responsible when making statements in the Dewan Rakyat.

She said the immunity granted to MPs did not give them free rein to make false statements during debates.