Malahoo Forte says controversial comments about public sector workers taken out of context

 

Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs and Member of Parliament for St. James West Central, Marlene Malahoo Forte, says her comments on the Jamaica Labour Party's plan for the public service, should it secure a third term, are being taken out of context. 

 

Minister Malahoo Forte made the controversial comments at a party meeting on Sunday. 

 

"We're gonna have to look at our civil service. We're gonna have to look at our public service because we find that on the extreme we have two set of people. One set seh, boy, anuh my party in power enuh so mi nah really do nut'n fi mek dem look good. And they don't serve you as well. And some of you will say they sabotage the government. 

 

"But then we have another set - and I want you to hear me carefully, because in that set, some of the Jamaica Labour Party family fall. Dem seh, well, my party in power enuh. I don't have to do nut'n because nobody cyah fire me. And on both sides, the people are not well served. So when we go into the next term, I want to put everyone on notice, all of you, that we're going to be working to ensure that the internal clients of government are well served," she had said.  

 

Critics have accused the St. James MP of threatening to push public sector employees out of their jobs, especially those deemed to be supporters of the parliamentary opposition. 

 

In response, JLP General Secretary Dr. Horace Chang on Monday made it clear that the party has no plans to target civil servants. 

 

In an interview with Radio Jamaica News, Mrs. Malahoo Forte sought to clarify her comments. She said they should not be interpreted as a threat to the jobs of public sector employees. 

 

"The point I was really making is that those who work in government have a lot of issues that remain to be addressed - issues from the transformation of the public sector, the restructuring that is taking place. And we are paying close attention to those and I want them to be assured that we will address those issues. They are the ones who deliver the services on behalf of government; they are the face of government. So my simple point is that we will continue to reform government to ensure that everyone is better served by government," she explained.