PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants should not be afraid to report any form of abuse even if it comes from the Prime Minister himself, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Emphasising on enforcement, Anwar said he had seen many files, particularly that from the Finance Ministry, and found there were many misconducts.
He said one cannot fault the officer for abiding to the minutes that was given by the minister, let alone the Prime Minister himself
"But I gave clear instructions, if there are minutes (of a meeting), even from the Prime Minister himself, but deemed as a breach of the regulation and laws, I should at least be informed first.
"What more if it is from officers from my own office, the deputy prime minister's office or ministers," he said at the Prime Minister's Department (JPM) monthly assembly at Dataran Perdana, Perdana Putra.
Also present was Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and Religious Affairs minister Senator Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar.
This was Anwar's first monthly assembly with the department's staff this year and second since becoming Prime Minister in Nov last year.
Anwar expressed gratitude to civil servants who had upheld their spirit of responsibility and received well his remarks of certain contracts, in which commissions were set high and valued at unreasonable amounts.
He said he was not finger pointing at anyone but merely wanted to state the fact.
"We cannot succeed as a nation if the leakages and wastages are too much.
"Many officers are unaware and (know) when there is an instruction (from the higher ups), they have to abide by it or they risk being transferred.
"This is why I hope you give your cooperation and continue to bring the nation to greater heights," he said.