4 April 2007: Working Hard

Following China's plan to make civil servants work for their salaries, now Malaysia's deputy premier has told the country's government workers they need to work harder and spend more time at their desks.

The Deputy Prime Minister told a gathering of civil servants to condition their minds to see work as a virtue, not a punishment.

He urged them to think of the benefit to the country's productivity if people extended their working hours. "I don’t think nine hours per day is too much to ask," he said.

Malaysian government offices currently run working days from 8:30am to 4:30pm.