KUALA LUMPUR: In realising the Shared Prosperity Vision (WKB) 2030, civil service plays an integral role to boost public confidence.
Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said the two pertinent matters that revolved around realising this vision include on the service and delivery to the public as well as on the integrity.
“I was given the assurance by the Public Service director-general and the senior civil servants that we will work collectively to realise the vision,” he said when met at National Institute of Public Administration for a ministerial talk here today.
Azmin said a poor delivery would open for negative perception among the public and raise criticism that the government is weak and ineffective.
“This shallow partisanship is a stumbling block to nation-building.
“We need all the energy and the ideas whether in the government or the civil service to improve delivery to the public.
“The mandate given by the public in the previous election was for us to serve them in the best way possible,” he said.
Azmin also hoped that the political stability in this country would be strengthened so the business community and foreign investors would have the confidence to come to our country.
“I hope this would be given a serious consideration by all leadership,” he said.
Azmin said the mandate needs to be defended and the civil service needs to work very hard especially on recalibrating the economic policy.
“We also need to address the economic issues and the new challenges. With the ongoing dispute between China and the United States, which are both Malaysia’s trading partners, indirectly it would give an impact to the economy in the region and this country,” he said.
Azmin said he was in view that this is an opportunity for the country to be more competitive.
He also added that the new Malaysia narrative was to share prosperity among all Malaysians and not be entangled in an outdated and narrow thinking fuelled by race, ethnicities, cultural and religious sentiments.
“Our diversity is our strength, especially if we get to know each other in line with the Li Ta'arafu principle as suggested by the Al-Quran,” he said, adding that power was not a privilege but rather a responsibility entrusted by the public to the government.
For the first time in 60 years, the rakyat decided to change.
“They decided to change because they wanted a new government that is clean and they wanted us to deliver back to the rakyat,” he said.
Azmin also said the public must have faith that Malaysia would have a bright future ahead.
“We must not only think big but do big” as the Malaysia’s economy has the potential to rise to the 20th position in the world economy.
Under the current ruling, the country had embarked on institutional reforms, including the establishment of National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC), which will coordinate and monitor all activities related to governance, integrity and combating graft.
He said there was also a National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) 2019-2023 that provides a guide to gauge the level of integrity among the civil service.
Also present at the event were Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Datuk Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman and the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Saiful Anuar Lebai Hussen.