KUCHING: Every civil servant must exercise integrity and inculcate a high level of discipline, said Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said complaints occur when civil servants neglect their responsibilities towards ministries, agencies or local authorities and prioritise personal interests to the point of violating the laws and guidelines.
According to Dr Sim, many complaints are received and channelled to relevant ministries, agencies and local authorities regarding the awarding of project tenders to those who have personal interests with the officers responsible for managing the projects.
“I believe that there are two reasons for complaints to occur with the first one due to people’s misunderstanding of procurement procedures, such as through tenders and quotations for a project or service while the second one is due to personal interests of officers who manage these projects and services that lead to corruption.
“The solution to this issue is to abide by integrity and instil discipline in themselves, which in turn portrays a good personality while carrying out their responsibilities.
“Besides that, the management’s commitment can be demonstrated through a declaration of interest and confidentiality during any meeting involving any project or service, and I presume it has been practised by everyone here,” he said.
Dr Sim said this when officiating at the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG) Integrity Day at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex, today.
Dr Sim, who is the minister of MPHLG, assured that each officer in his ministry, agencies and local authorities are not involved in such cases and have carried out their duties diligently.
He also called on heads of department to play their roles in monitoring the duties of officers under their supervision to ensure responsibilities are carried out with trust, transparency and accountability.
“Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg also has emphasised several times in his speech that all involved in government projects must work with integrity, including in managing funds and the procurement process.
“The leader who neglects his or her responsibilities will be subject to disciplinary action under the General Orders 1996,” he stated.
Dr Sim also reminded civil servants to maintain their behaviour and to always be aware of public expectations.
The ceremony also saw the officers of his ministry renew their anti-corruption pledge as their commitment to strictly reject corruption and abuse of power.
MPHLG deputy permanent secretary Elizabeth Loh, who represented permanent secretary Datuk Antonio Kahti Galis, said the pledge is not just for publicity but will be strengthened with various actions by the ministry’s top management.
Also present were MPHLG deputy ministers Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil and Michael Tiang.
