Is this incredible or what? The White House employs 1,888 staff, but Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Department has 43,554 employees.

There is also a similar disparity in their respective budgets. The White House’s budget is US$394 million for 2011.

Have a look at the White House website here.

Compare that with the PM’s Dept budget of RM4 billion or is that RM12 billion?

The vast difference is partly down to the whole array of departments, agencies, and what-have-you under the Prime Minister’s Department.

Have a look at the organisation chart for the PM’ Department on its official website here.

You will see a whole list of set-ups under the PM’s office, ranging from Felda (in the news lately), Suhakam (so much for its independence), the National Audit Department (independent?), Biro Tatanegara(!), Elections Commission (independent?), anti-corruption commission (independent?), the Maritime Enforcement Agency, EPU…

Shouldn’t some of these be independent of the PM’s Department and answerable to Parliament instead?

Why this centralisation of power?

masterwordsmith

31/07/10