Malaysian state chief defends 'broom award' for lazy officials

Malaysian state chief defends 'broom award' for lazy officials

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): A Malaysian state leader has defended handing out brooms as symbols of poor performance at a civil service awards function, saying this would motivate inefficient officials, news reports and an official said Thursday.

Selangor State Chief Minister Mohamad Khir Toyo immediately came under fire for the move earlier this week, with employee unions and politicians saying the action was demeaning, as the broom is associated with bad luck in Malay culture.

Mohamad Khir and the majority of Malaysia's civil service are ethnic Malays, the dominant ethnic group in Malaysia.

"To say that giving a broom is a bad omen is an old wives' tale. The broom is just a symbol to get the message across," Mohamad Khir was quoted as saying by The Star daily.

"We must sweep our hearts first to perform well, so that it becomes second nature," he said. "It will be more (accursed) if we do not improve our work, become lazy and continue to be lackadaisical."

Mohamad Khir was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying the "broom award" was not meant to insult nor demoralize any individual but aimed at motivating departments to improve their standards.

A Selangor state official, who declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed Mohamad Khir's comments.

He said all local councils had achieved their tax collection targets for this year and as such, no broom award will be given out next year.(**)