Cuepacs president Adnan Mat said this move would give a motivational boost to civil servants as they are offered the chance to learn new skills, while improving the quality of services at government counters.

“Cuepacs believes being posted at service counters for too long could cause emotional lethargy and boredom, which would affect work performance.

“A systematic change in roles for these civil servants would ensure a productive and dynamic public service workforce which, in turn,would ensure the people’s needs are more effectively met,” he said in a statement.

Adnan also said the initiative should be carried out in every government agency. However, he said, the staff involved needed to be given sufficient training to ensure smooth transitions so daily operations are not affected.

Chief secretary to the government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar had ordered the Public Services Department (JPA) to review the assignment of civil servants who have been manning service counters for more than five years to curb burnout.

He also said serving in a role for too long could hinder career progression as the public servants involved would not be adept in broader operational matters.