Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, in questioning the logic of not allowing elected representatives to speak up for their constituents, said: "What is the point of an elected representative if he is not even allowed to write a letter of endorsement (for a deserving candidate)"

He added that a wakil rakyat who failed to defend its constituents could be booted out from his position through the ballot box.

He added this was not the case with civil servants, whose appointments were not done through the general election.

Khairy said this in his blog www.rembau.net.my, in response to Chief Secretary to the Govern­ment Tan Sri Sidek Hassan's recent directive that civil servants must report to their superiors in writing if they were asked "favours" by politicians and the well-connected in the awarding of government contracts.

The Star on Monday reported that the directive by Sidek covered recommendations of sila timbangkan (please consider); disokong dengan kuat (strongly recommended) and saya tiada halangan (no objections) made in all forms - written, spoken, email, telephone calls or SMS - for contracts permits, licences, citizenship and scholarship awards.

Khairy, while insisting that he supported efforts to curb corruption, said "little Napoleons" in the civil service would deter the promotion of meritocracy in awarding public contracts.

The Umno Youth chief said inefficiency in the bureaucracy caused constituents to approach him for letters of recommendation.

Khairy also claimed that civil servants were not spared from cases of power abuse, where favouritism towards selected applications might prevail.

As a result, he wrote, deserving candidates applying for public projects through the regular means were rejected.

"Those that I recommended were not related nor have any political relationships with me. They came to me at my service centre to ask for help after being victims of favouritism that was practised among selected civil servants.

"So it is not true that every endorsement from a politician is an example of power abuse, supposedly meant for personal gain or their cronies.

"As an elected representative, we just want to help our constituents to get the help that one deserves," he said.