PUTRAJAYA, Dec 18 — The Public Service Department (PSD) has denied it ever issued a directive for civil servants to maintain a balanced body mass index (BMI).
The clarification came in response to a December 7 statement by Miri Hospital director Dr Jack Wong Siew Yu, titled PSD makes it mandatory for all civil servants to have a healthy BMI from next year.
In a statement today, the PSD emphasised that while it encourages all civil servants to evaluate their own health, including measuring their weight and height to determine their BMI, it is not a mandatory requirement.
The information can be declared in the Human Resources Management Information System as part of promoting health awareness.
“This is outlined in the Public Service Circular S.R 2.5.1 on the Declaration of Health Records to Cultivate a Healthy Lifestyle for Public Officials, issued September 6, 2022.
“However, the PSD has never issued any directive requiring public officials to maintain a balanced BMI,” the department stated.
The PSD reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the Health Ministry to tackle obesity among public officials and support broader public health improvement initiatives.
Additionally, the department said any public statement referencing the PSD must first obtain official approval. It also cautioned against using the PSD as an official reference without verifying the facts.
— Bernama
