No escaping for ‘wasteful’ civil servants — Abu Kassim

PUTRAJAYA: The government will draft a new law to allow punitive measures against its officers who intentionally cause leakages and waste government funds, said Governance, Integrity and Anti- Corruption Centre ( GIACC) director- general Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed.

He said all ministries were required to identify at least three issues or weaknesses in the existing laws, policies or regulations. Abu Kassim also said the directive was being taken for the government to review these laws in order to curb corruption in ministries and their relevant agencies.

“The reports (of the findings) need to be submitted to GIACC within one month from today,” he told a press conference after attending the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti- Corruption, which was chaired by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, here yesterday.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Abu Kassim said drafting such a law was among the matters deliberated at the meeting yesterday, in line with the government’s efforts to rebuild the country through the promises as contained in the Pakatan Harapan ( PH) manifesto.

“The Pakatan Harapan- led government is committed to liberating the country from corruption by implementing between 21 and 35 per cent of the 60 promises in the PH manifesto concerning the aspects of governance, integrity, anticorruption and human rights,” he said.

As such, the former Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission ( MACC) chief commissioner said the government had decided to establish the GIACC which would report directly to the Prime Minister.

Apart from advising, planning, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on all matters pertaining to governance, integrity and anti- corruption, the centre was also responsible for human rights affairs on behalf of the government, he said.

Abu Kassim also said the government would draft the Political Funding Bill soonest possible to curb money politics.

Meanwhile, he said the committee, previously known as the Special Cabinet Committee on Integrity of Government Management, had also decided that the policy on accepting gifts and donations among civil servants be extended to political secretaries as well as ministers.

As such, Abu Kassim said the Prime Minister’s Department was told to adopt the ‘ No Gifts Policy’.

The committee also agreed to coordinate all proposals, including those proposed by the Institutional Reforms Committee, before being forwarded to the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti- Corruption or Cabinet for decision-making, he said.

In addition, Abu Kassim said the National Anti- Corruption Plan ( NACP) would be amended to allow issues concerning governance, integrity and anti- corruption be addressed thoroughly.

“The NACP will eventually replace the National Integrity Plan which is indeed high-time for a review,” he said.

Abu Kassim also informed that the National Integrity and Good Governance Department, Institute of Integrity Malaysia, Public Complaints Bureau and the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission would be placed under the purview of GIACC. — Bernama