142 Penerapan Konsep MADANI dalam Perkhidmatan Awam PROBLEM STATEMENT Public service is the backbone of any nation as it serves as a bridge between the government and its citizens. Therefore, the public service system must be efficient, fair, and just, as it plays a crucial role in shaping the country's overall social, economic, and political development. Like many other developing countries, Malaysia has been facing civic consciousness, unity, and social justice issues in its public service system. A. Civic Consciousness Civic consciousness refers to the awareness and understanding of one's rights and responsibilities as a citizen and an individual's commitment to contributing to the greater good of society. In the Malaysian public service, several issues related to civic consciousness need to be addressed to ensure that civil servants are committed to serving the public interest. One of the main issues is the need for more emphasis on civic education in training civil servants. A study published in 2016 titled "Civic Education in Malaysia: Challenges and Prospects" by Nor Azizan Idris, Mohd Burhan Ibrahim, and Syed Farid Alatas identified the lack of emphasis on civic education in the training of civil servants as a significant challenge in Malaysia. The study argues that the lack of civic education has contributed to the development of a passive citizenry and a weak civil society, which has hindered the growth of democracy and social justice in the country. The authors recommend that the government take steps to incorporate civic education into the training of civil servants, as well as promote civic education more broadly in Malaysian society. Many civil servants are not adequately informed about their roles and responsibilities as public servants, nor are they given sufficient guidance on engaging with citizens respectfully and effectively (United Nations Development Programme, 2020; World Justice Project, 2020). This can lead to a lack of accountability, as civil servants may need to understand their actions' impact on the public entirely. Another area for improvement is the need for more transparency in decision-making processes within the public service. This can lead to a perception that decisions are made in the interest of a few individuals or groups rather than in the public interest. This can erode trust in public service and reduce citizens' willingness to engage with civil servants, leading to a disconnect between civil servants and the public. A study conducted by Abd. Khalid and Haniffa (2016) discuss issues related to transparency and accountability in Malaysia's public and private sectors. The study notes that several factors contribute to a need for more transparency in decision-making processes, including cultural and institutional factors and the lack of effective governance mechanisms. Moreover, there have been several cases where government officials have failed to provide adequate information to the public and have even taken steps to restrict access to information (Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network, 2020).
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