By Qirana Nabilla Mohd Rashidi
Government allows three days at home from April 15 to ease fuel costs amid energy crisis
PETALING JAYA: Civil servants facing commutes longer than 8km will be allowed to work from home three days a week starting April 15 as the government moves to ease disruption amid rising tensions linked to the West Asia conflict.
Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz said the phased work-from-home (WFH) scheme will cover officers in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor and all state capitals.
He added that WFH days will differ depending on state working schedules.
For states with Sunday as the weekly rest day, WFH will be from Tuesday to Thursday, with Mondays and Fridays excluded.
For Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, where Friday is the weekly rest day, WFH will be from Monday to Wednesday, with Sundays and Thursdays excluded.
“The implementation follows the Human Resource Service Circular Clause SR.4.1.2 on the Work From Home policy, with additional conditions tailored to the current situation,” he said.
Several critical sectors will be exempt, including security and defence services such as the Malaysian Armed Forces, police, Fire and Rescue Department, Prisons Department, Malaysian Martime Enforcement Agency, Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency and the Immigration Department.
Healthcare professionals, including medical officers, pharmacists, dental officers and nurses, as well as education service officers involved in school sessions, are also excluded.
Wan Ahmad Dahlan said department heads have been instructed to implement WFH arrangements while ensuring service delivery remains uninterrupted.
“They are required to identify essential services and organise WFH schedules based on operational needs to ensure service delivery is not disrupted.
“Civil servants working from home must operate from their registered residential address in the Human Resource Management Information System,” he said.
He added that officers will record attendance using the SPOT-Me system, which tracks check-ins via geolocation on mobile devices from home.
Wan Ahmad Dahlan said officers are required to check in every hour, while department heads will monitor compliance and productivity.
He added that the directive will also extend to state public services, statutory bodies and local authorities, subject to approval by their respective authorities.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Cabinet had agreed to implement WFH arrangements across government ministries, agencies, statutory bodies and government-linked companies from April 15.
He added in a special address that the move aims to reduce fuel consumption and safeguard the country’s energy sustainability.
Anwar also urged the private sector to adopt similar WFH arrangements where possible.
He added that the Treasury is currently spending RM4 billion monthly to absorb rising crude oil prices following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Source: wfh-for-civil-servants-with-long-commutes
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