Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - New government to recruit youth

New government to recruit youth

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Hun Many (left), youngest son of Prime Minister Hun Sen and Say Samal, son of​ President of the Senate Say Chhum talks in the event recently.

New government to recruit youth

The newly-minted government plans to empower the country’s youth by offering them jobs in the bureaucracy – to groom them as potential administrators and leaders – as part of an agenda to create human capital for the future.

The incoming government also made another key decision that will disallow those holding ministerial positions from working in the civil service and those in government jobs need to resign.

Cambodia is a relatively young country where two-thirds of its 14 million people are under the age of 30 – a country with the largest young population in Southeast Asia.

The talent pool is immense and the government plans to capitalise on it.

Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) spokesman Sok Eysan said yesterday that the list of ministers and deputy ministers who will form the new government has not been released as yet and only Prime Minister Hun Sen has it.

“No one knows who are the members of the government – who will be the secretary of state or under-secretary of state – only Prime Minister Hun Sen has the name list, he knows all of them,” he said.

However, Eysan said, more youth will be offered jobs at the various ministries once the new government starts functioning officially.

“[The announcement to add more youth] is already clear and this is for our future,” he said.

But Eysan said he is unaware of the number of youth who will be included in the new administration.

He said officials who have positions such as senior ministers and those elected as lawmakers or members of the National Assembly must resign their administrative posts.

“They cannot work at the National Assembly and in the government like under the previous mandate,” he said.

Meanwhile, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan, said once its members are approved by the National Assembly and they have taken the oath at the Royal Palace, Hun Sen will present the list to the King for his consent, before they officially take up their duties.

“The trend of the new government is to create succession, [so] new blood [youth] will be injected into the system,” said Siphan.

Last week, Freshnews reported that Hun Sen’s vision is to hire more youths at ministries or government-run institutions as part of a plan to develop much needed human resources for the future.

Victory Intelligent Standard Association director Ros Sarom, however, is less optimistic of the government’s move to engage more youths. He claimed it will not help to push the country’s development agenda.

He claimed this was obvious when the government announced reforms under the fifth mandate (from 2013 to 2017) but there were no significant results even then.

“The new youth that I see are not new but they are children of senior CPP officials, so it is [not] new youth, but passed down from fathers to children."

“I do not discriminate against anyone, but the important thing is they must be capable of carrying out their jobs efficiently to achieve the new goals,” he said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Newest horror film showcases unique Khmer culture, identity

    At first glance, the trailer to new horror sensation The Ritual: Black Nun looks like a western-produced feature film. As the story reveals itself to the viewers, it becomes clearer that this is a Khmer film, with a strong Cambodian identity and close links to

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one

  • Water supply authority assures public shortages over early ‘24

    The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) asked for understanding from Phnom Penh residents in some communes where water pressure is weak. They assured residents that all supply issues will be resolved by early 2024, but have suggested that residents use water sparingly in the meantime.

  • Khmer ballet documentary debuts April 1

    A new documentary, The Perfect Motion, or Tep Hattha in Khmer, will premiere to the public on April 1. The documentary film follows two intertwined storylines: the creation of a show called Metamorphosis by the late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (her very last production) and the