Use plain language, not 'Bahasa Putrajaya', civil servants told
PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants must stop using overly complex language that leads to communication failures with the public, says Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Bakar.
Shamsul said the use of "bureaucratic language" or "Bahasa Putrajaya" to explain government policies was a major reason for communication gaps.
He gave the example of the Sales and Service Tax (SST), saying explanations of the policy were only suitable for academics and senior government officials.
"But 85 per cent of the people outside want to hear explanations for them, they want the language of ordinary people," Shamsul said at a special session titled "Reformasi Satu Kemestian" to mark one year of civil service reforms.
He said he has instructed all corporate communications units to improve communication to bridge the divide between the government and the public.
"The person looking after that must ensure we speak a language that all people understand. Only then can we reduce the communication gap," he said, adding that gaps could also occur across different age groups.
More than 1,000 public servants attended the event, including Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz and other senior officials.
At the event, Shamsul also launched the 2025 Service Digitisation Circular.
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