(May 8): Putrajaya has frozen the hiring of civil servants in the past, said former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, playing down the recent federal government's directive to cease the hiring of staff.

"There were, when there is a need," he told reporters when met after the launch of 30% Club aimed at increasing women in top decision-making positions by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak this morning.

However, he refused to speculate if the latest freeze was due to overstaffing in the civil service, which had in the past have been criticised for being too bloated.

It was reported before that Malaysia has the highest number of civil servants in the Asia Pacific region, with a civil service to population ratio of 4.68% – above its neighbours Indonesia (1.79%), the Philippines (1.8%) and Thailand (2.06%).

 As of October 2013, there were 1.13 million civil servants, excluding police and the army personnel.

“You have to ask the current KSN (chief secretary), I am sure they have a reason for it, which I am not privy to," Mohd Sidek said, referring to his successor Tan Sri Ali Hamsa.

Earlier this week, Public Service Commission chairman Tan Sri Mahmood Adam had told Chinese daily, Sin Chew that 15 agencies have received notice of the hiring freeze, including the police, the army and the education ministry.

However, some positions are still vacant and departments that are in urgent need of additional staff can still apply to the PSD.

Sarawak Report also said that a directive has been sent out to all government departments, instructing them to cease, immediately, the hiring of personnel.

The directive was issued by the director-general of public service Mohamad Zabidi Zainal.

Putrajaya had previously defended itself against critics who pointed out the country's civil service is bloated, saying it provided job opportunities to Malaysians.

"As of now, the position of the civil service is based on our population which is good, as well as give job opportunities," said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim in November 2013. – The Malaysian Insider