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Bandar Seri Begawan - He was a vastly changed man these days.

Everything he did now was in slow motion, every move; it seemed, was carefully calculated and economically timed.

There was no room for mistakes. Anything, which carried the mere suspicion of risk, was totally out of question.

He got up from bed slowly each morning. He then gingerly walked to the bathroom as if stepping on a sheet of fragile glass, took his ablutions in an equally cautious way and spooned his nasi lemak in a measured fashion.

Then getting into his five-year-old Mercedes and driving leisurely away was another study of careful deliberation.

Sauntering into his office and sitting by his desk was a further calculated manoeuver. Every action or rather, each non-action counted.

Now, he would soon walk the tight rope while sitting on what he was increasingly becoming aware of as the "hot" seat.

Take heed, take heed. Just go through the motion. Maintain the balance. Keep up with the appearances. Don't rock the boat. And above all, do nothing.

Because if you stick your neck out and involve in a new project, something may go wrong. Then, where will be your pension? Also, your prospect of being named Permanent Secretary or an ambassador or a statuary board member would be at stake.

After all, he had been in service for 30 odd years during which he had gradually plodded up to head a high administrative position, director level. Now, he had a mere four years to go.

And taking off for six months on end-of-service leave and other off days, he would have about three years to go.

Why then should he blot his copybook? Why do anything? Just mark time.

In that refrain office, work was deliberately kept in abeyance as far as possible. What if I make the wrong decisions? It is better for the next fellow to tackle the problem. By that time I will be enjoying my pension. I will be out of harm's way.

Gone were his daring, innovative days when he felt he wanted to change the world. How different, how far off were those days.

This instance, of course, is an extreme example. Nevertheless, it is not an exceptional situation. Many people say that the "pension syndrome" is still alive and well here.

That sort of attitude tends to colour the administration adversely. Pass-the-buck culture becomes entrenched even deeper as time goes by.

Consider that by the time most civil servants reach their prime, they are already in their 50's. That is just about the period when they are about to be pensioned off.

That is when they fear the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. That is when they feel most constrained, most insecure and their style is crimped.

However, that is also the time when they should give out their best: Their parting shot.

But the current circumstances are precluding that. And it is a frightening thought that majority of our decision makers and our supposed movers and shakers are in that age category.

But what can we do about changing the situation? Perhaps pushing up the retirement age to around 65 could be a start?

Then we will have to think of further ways to remove the other fear factors.

Accessing their pre-retirement performance and awarding them with perks and penalising them for deliberate indolence before leaving the service could be other forms of cure.

Provisions for recall regarding accountability even after retirement should also be considered.

The Prime Minister's Office, I am told, is now seriously in the process of revamping the public service performance in providing better customer service to the public.

The retirement syndrome that bedevils the service now could also be attacked with profit at the same time.

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