• Politics

Hun Many as DPM for Effective Civil work: PM

• By Teng Yalirozy
• February 22, 2024 3:10 PM

PHNOM PENH – Adding power to the minister of civil service makes the work more effective, Prime Minister Hun Manet says following criticism of the appointment of his younger brother Hun Many as a deputy prime minister. 

On Feb.21, the National Assembly voted to approve Civil Service Minister Hun Many as a new deputy prime minister and Sry Thammarong and Pen Vibol, currently Ministers Attached to the Prime Minister, as senior ministers. A total of 120 attending members approved the appointment.

“If the minister is not Hun Many, the appointment will also be made,” Hun Manet said on Feb. 22 in the award ceremony of Model Public Service Provider in Education and Health in 2023.

“The civil service minister has a role as a liaison to implement and reform the public work​ of all ministries. If the liaison minister doesn’t have power in the work, how can he instruct the work effectively? It’s just that he has the same surname as mine.”

Hun Manet said the ministry's effectiveness is crucial for public administration at national and sub-national levels and is essential for the national interest.

Not a celebration but a responsibility

Hun Many is the youngest son of former prime minister Hun Sen and has been actively involved in youth movements, political activities and social work.

Hun Many said the position of deputy prime minister is a big responsibility. “Coming to the position is not about Hun Many but the civil service work. This is a key factor,” he said.

He attributed the appointment to the ability of officials of the Civil Service Ministry at both political and technical levels.

“If there is no capacity and trust in the leadership at all levels of the Ministry of Civil Service. There may be no promotion of a minister to deputy prime minister,” said Hun Many.

He said the work of the ministry is to reform, recruit more capable officials, modernize the institution and encourage the officials to carry out their work more efficiently.

Hun Many has started to work on the recruitment of the civil service by creating a new system of recruitment exams based on the real ability and passion of the candidates. 

He explained that the civil service ministry has now worked closely with all ministries when it comes to finding new servants. The process includes information sharing one month before, online registration and three-step examination paper correction.

Hun Many is the one who refines the exam materials after they are organized by the expert. After one week of the result announcement, the candidates can request to review their exam papers.

“This system creates fairness and transparency. Everybody gets a chance and fairness based on their qualification and knowhow and can compete,” he said during a podcast with Rean Thort. “It creates the opportunity for young Cambodians who are entering the workforce.”

Create an environment to overcome difficulties

Hun Many is the president of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC), leading many projects by mobilizing the power of youth. One of the significant projects was “Beyond the Game” to celebrate Cambodia’s hosting of the Southeast Asia Games and ASEAN Para Games for the first time.

Cambodia received the Guinness World Record for the largest display of origami hearts, with nearly four million paper hearts being made, by far exceeding the original target of 1 million.

He said the goal of creating such social and public events is to create the purpose of doing certain things for citizens as every individual is facing challenges to a greater or lesser extent. 

A sense of collective work and shared purpose gives people hope for the new day. 

“Everybody has a personal challenge that he/she is going through. Once you accept that everybody is going through challenges, it's about how you get out of it,” he said.

“It’s important to create an event where people come together for a common goal.”