Low: JITN will have no power to influence other agencies

PUTRAJAYA:The proposed National Integrity and Good Governance Department (JITN) will not have any power to influence the antigraft agency and how it carries out its investigations, said Datuk Paul Low.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said the proposed department also could not exert control over other agencies, such as the Malaysian Institute of Integrity, Malaysia Human Rights Commission and also the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission.

“These are all independent institutions,” he said.

Low further added the proposed JITN was to lead the transformational change in building institutional capacity, especially among civil servants, to initiate and drive policy changes, as well as to strengthen government processes.

He was responding to an objection by the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) over the proposed set up of the JITN, saying that its independence would be hindered and that the department would be a waste of public funds.

MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad said if the Government had the budget, it should use the money to improve existing institutions.

Earlier this week, Low announced that JITN would be an upgrade of the Integrity and Good Governance Division under the Prime Minister’s Department.

He said the establishment of JITN was being finalised by the Public Service Department, in consultation with all the relevant agencies, to ensure that there was no duplica tion in functions and also to improve the use of resources and manpower.

Low added that the setting up of JITN was approved by the Cabinet on July 28. He further said it is in line with the Government Transformation Programme, for the institutionalisation of compliance initiatives in the areas of governance, integrity and human rights. — Bernama