Kuantan: The Public Service Commission (PSC) is targeting 30,000 civil servant appointments this year, compared to 25,000 appointments last year. Its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus stated that this goal aligns with the necessity to replace retiring officers and the government's ongoing efforts to maintain the continuity of public service delivery to the people.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the chairman acknowledged a decrease in applications for the civil service, from 1.2 million in 2024 to about one million in 2025. Despite this decline, Ahmad Jailani expressed optimism that the number of applications would rise again in 2026 and 2027. "The number of applications to the PSC recorded around 1.2 million in 2024, while last year it decreased to one million. However, we expect the number to be maintained at more than one million this year, God willing," he noted.
He shared these insights with reporters at the Kuantan PSC MADANI Career Journey programme held at a local hotel. In addition, Ahmad Jailani attributed the drop in applications to new qualification requirements under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA), which mandates a minimum qualification of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). "The SSPA starts with SPM and above, therefore we see this reduction in the number of applications for those who only have Sijil Rendah Pelajaran (SRP), Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) or lower qualifications," he explained.
Addressing the Kuantan PSC MADANI Career Journey programme, he described it as the first event of its kind in Pahang, part of PSC's ongoing effort to connect with youth and job seekers. "This programme was created to ensure that youths receive exposure and accurate information about career opportunities in the public service, whether at the federal or state level," he said.
Ahmad Jailani further mentioned that the event featured open interviews for three categories: Persons with Disabilities (PwD), Orang Asli, and nursing positions. The event initially attracted over 700 attendees and is expected to draw a total of 1,500 participants by the end of the day.