I recently participated in a discussion programme during which we touched on the question of governmental bureaucracy as a hindrance to economic development. I myself remarked that there are a number of civil servants who actually perform very well and carry the burden of various others who do not perform as they should.

I made my comment in the light of the fact that I come from a family where my grandfather, Carmel Mallia, was a top civil servant and career diplomat and my father, Michael, after him, also made his mark as ‘Euro’ diplomat before his career evaporated because he participated in industrial action in 1977 under the then Partit tal-Ħaddiema (workers’ party) led by the so-called “father of our nation”.

Some find it easy to vilify and disparage the work and role of civil servants and it is a fact that some public servants draw such stings onto themselves because of the manner in which they do, or do not, perform. A good number, however, perform their duties with attention and loyalty and without discriminating between political parties which alternate in the governance of Malta.

This is no easy task because every minister, as also every political party, brings to bear particular attitudes and often baggage.

There are those in the public service, mostly in the lesser ranks, who are called upon to carry out repetitive and, at times, uninspiring tasks over a period of many years, often spanning a lifetime of work. These are the least noted and appreciated individuals.

Not many of us realise what it takes to carry out such tasks for so long. It is indeed a thankless exercise and, yet, without such inputs so many sectors of public service activity would definitely break down. These people are indeed the unsung heroes in the system, on a journey spanning a lifetime. Obviously, even here, some are not heroes at all as they dodge and shirk responsibility and shift it onto colleagues.

Over the past months we have witnessed a broad, political ‘cleansing’ exercise

Again, the level of remuneration and appreciation are not the most attractive aspects of a public service career but beyond this comes something which hits at the roots of whether any person at work performs well or badly, and that is motivation.

People at work are and can be motivated in various ways but most of these methods are often not possible in the public sector. However, the situation here is even worse. There is a considerable level of demotivation when the employer, in this case the government of the day, acts in ways that demoralise and demotivate loyal and valid employees.

Malta saw a hefty dose of this in the 1970s and part of the 1980s and now, once again, the same (mis)behavior is rampant.

Over the past months we have witnessed a broad, political ‘cleansing’ exercise with key personnel being removed or put to pasture in sterile fields while appointments continue to be based mostly on political or related hue or tint starting with the unbelievable appointment of the head of the public service.

And the cleansing continues. Few have been spared the hatchet and those that have been spared so far feel threatened on a day-to-day basis, expecting their career, like that of my father, to be suddenly terminated.

People with decades of experience in key positions have been put to waste in meaningless jobs while others are being subjected to psychological pressures often to the detriment of their personal health.

Worse than demotivation is the fact that a number of civil servants now work in fear, a fear that their career can suddenly be truncated by some politically-appointed henchman, a fear that has gripped the civil service and is suffocating all possible initiative.

I have met people in the sanctuary of their homes and have seen them break down in tears right before my eyes.

Cognisant of the pride that both my father and grandfather had in their work and in the public service, I sense very strongly what today’s valid public officers must be experiencing and how demotivated and frustrated they must be.

That is why today I temper my judgement where the public service is concerned.

Stefano Mallia is a Nationalist candidate for the MEP elections.