KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister said that the unity government led by him will need to cease the practices of questionable procurements and approval without tender.
The newly appointed PM is eager to establish a new culture in his administration to avoid the wastage of public funds.
During his maiden speech to the staff of the Prime Minister’s Department today (29 Nov) morning, he said there can no longer be any room for leakages and corruption to take place in the public sector.
“It must be used to benefit the people and not to enrich one or two family members of cronies,” Anwar said those who knew him when he served especially as finance minister during 1990, would be aware of his stand on the use of power by a leader.
“I prohibited my family members or close friends from being given priority in any government-approved projects.”
Anwar added that the new government must restore the image of the civil service, “If you saw any negligence and carelessness before this, that is history. I don’t wish to dig all that up. We must look forward and prepare ourselves for the future.”
Anwar had previously reiterated that he would not take his PM’s salary, and turned down a new order of a Mercedes-Benz S600 limousine as his official car, as he did not want any additional expenditure to be incurred because of him.
Anwar-led Pakatan Harapan(PH) won 82 seats in Malaysia’s 15th General Election. With advice from Malaysia King to solve the hung parliament conundrum, PH formed a unity government with other political coalitions: Barisan National(BN), Gabungan Parti Sarawak(GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
Anwar: Civil Servants Must Have A “Reform” Spirit
During his speech to PMO’s staff, Anwar urged civil servants to have a spirit of “islah“(an Arabic term for “reform” or “change”), and together correct the country’s course with commitment.
“I take this opportunity to invite everyone here, imploring them to come together with interest and enthusiasm to bring “islah” towards rightness.”
He also calls on all civil servants to work alongside his administration. He said leaders come and go, but they will remain as the backbone of the country, upholding its system through laws and regulations.
“It is impossible for ministers to achieve success without the civil service, ” Anwar said with his previous experience working in various ministries, he had benefitted from the views and experiences brought forward by civil servants.
Anwar served in various cabinet positions during BN administration from 1983 to 1998. His first ministerial office was as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, and later served as Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Education and Finance Minister.
Anwar finally rose as then-PM’s Mahathir bin Mohamad’s right-hand man before he was sacked from UMNO in 1998.
He was charged with sodomy and corruption, and later given a nine-year prison sentence until Malaysia’s Federal Court quashed the sodomy charges in 2004.
Although Anwar re-elected to Member of Parliament in 2008, he faced another sodomy allegation but was acquitted in January 2012.
The acquittal was overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2014, which convicted him and imposed a sentence of five years imprisonment, before he was given a royal pardon on 16 May 2018.
Anwar in his speech advised that public servants’ support should not necessarily along the political line, but along the services line.
“I take note of the civil servants’ experiences. Before I decide, I will digest the information given based on the experiences of those in the ministry,” Anwar said.
