PUTRAJAYA: Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar wants civil servants who face consequences for reporting misconducts to approach him directly to ensure an investigation is done.
He said the government is dedicated to strengthening integrity practices, which includes ensuring whistleblowers are protected.
He acknowledged the complexities that civil servants face when disclosing sensitive information, particularly regarding the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
He stressed the importance of ethical conduct in every aspect of government service and said reports would be treated with the utmost seriousness and professionalism.
"Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
"If any civil servant faces consequences for reporting misconduct, they can come directly to me. I take it very seriously. I will also direct my officers to investigate the issues raised and get the heads of departments involved in accountability measures.
"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, we are committed to making improvements and focusing on improving Malaysia's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking," he said in an interview with Media Prima recently.
However, Shamsul Azri also stated that with such trust, civil servants must uphold their conduct in public channels, such as social media.
"It's not about silencing people, but about maintaining respect."
Among the measures aimed at improving governance practices include continuous training for civil servants on integrity and ethics.
In line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) for 2024-2028, the government will implement rigorous monitoring systems to ensure no corrupt practices occur, which include rewards and punitive measures to encourage positive behaviour, as well as a review of outdated policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures.
"Old policies and SOPs can lead to misuse of authority, and we are focusing on updating these to ensure greater transparency, accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness," he said.