Viral circular is meant to remind Information Department staff of impending GE14

PETALING JAYA: A circular by the Information Department freezing its staff's personal overseas trips – that has been making its rounds on social media – is to serve as a reminder to all its officers of the impending 14th General Election (GE).
Its director-general Datuk Ibrahim Abdul Rahman (pix) said the memo is an internal circular and that it was customary for the department to send them a year before the Parliament is dissolved.
"It is our responsibility to help out with the Election Commission in ensuring smooth democratic campaign and election, and to continuously disseminate information on government policies.
"(As such) It is the norm for this circular to be released a year before the dissolving of Parliament to remind our staff to prepare for the GE that is to be announced soon," he said in a statement today.
"This is to avoid staff going overseas at a time when the department needs them to focus on the government's official programmes and activities, including our National Day and the SEA Games," he added.
The viral circular, dated Feb 28, had claimed that all application for overseas trip on unofficial or personal affairs would be frozen beginning May 1.
Ibrahim said the memo was sent a year earlier to avoid staff purchasing cheaper advanced flight tickets only to have leave applications rejected.
He also clarified that the freeze only affects Information Department staff, and not all civil servants as made viral.
"This freeze also does not involve those who would be performing their Hajj and umrah, while certain needs for overseas travel would still be considered based on the merit of the application, such as deaths of a family member," he added.