More Chinese than Indians in Malaysia's civil services

The number of applications from Chinese Malaysians and their appointments in civil services rose by 100 percent last year compared to the figure in 2007, said Koh Tsu Koon, minister in Prime Minister's Department.

Appointments offered by Public Service Commission (PSC) to people of Chinese origin rose by 100 percent in 2009 -- 2,600 appointed as civil servants -- compared to 1,323 in 2007, New Straits Times reported, quoting Koh on Friday.

Malaysia had 1.29 million civil servants in June this year, according to government data.

The Malays make up 77 percent of jobs in the bureaucracy, followed by Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputeras, who enjoy privileges under the constitution, at 8.7 percent, Chinese six percent, Indians four percent and others 4.3 percent.

"The government wants to increase the number of non-Malay civil servants with several measures taken since last three years to encourage them to join the public sector," the official Bernama news agency quoted him as saying.

Seven percent of Malaysia's 28 million population are ethnic Indians, a bulk of them Tamils, settled here during the British era. The country got independence in 1957.