Reminder to civil servants

I refer to the report" Little Napoleon education officer to be sacked."(NST, Nov 16) I applaud the Education Ministry for its fim action against a supervisor who had gone against the ministry's efforts to provide sufficient teachers for vernacular schools.
The deputy education minister was quoted as saying,"sad to say, these people at the lower level discregard our efforts, and act on their own."
This may not be an isolated case; there may be other "little Napoleon" with a misguided sense of duty disregarding directives from the top and acting on their own. In this respect the deputy miaqnister was also quoted as saying:"Our drastic action against the sipevisor is to serve as adeterrent to others."
It should be impressed upon gopvernment servants that, as government servants, they are to faithfully carry out the directives of the government of the day without fear or favour.
The meaning of the phrase,"Saya yang menurut perintah"(I, who obey directives) in government corespondences appears to have lost its meaning to these littlt Napoleons.
All government servants, whatever their rank or position, are servants of the government and should faothfully carry out the policies and directives of the government to the best of their ability. That is what they are paid for.
There was atime, during the colonial era, when civil servants signed official letters below the phrase, "I beg to remain Sir, your obedient servant," to remind them not to act on their own as independent agents.