KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V called for the administrative excellence in the Federal Territories to be maintained to guarantee the people’s wellbeing, especially in this uncertain global economic climate.
The King said that to help reduce the burden of the people, particularly the low-income group, the Government could hopefully find new, innovative ways to overcome the situation.
His Majesty was speaking at an investiture ceremony held in conjunction with a Federal Territories Day 2017 celebration at Istana Negara yesterday.
Also present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor.
The Agong said that many new initiatives had been and were being undertaken by the FT Ministry, such as the use of biodegradable products to make environmental preservation a culture, the reducing of greenhouse gas emissions, the drawing up of the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan, and water resources management.
His Majesty said that a number of task forces had also been formed for housing, cleanliness, traffic control and to combat illegal activities, as well as tackle price hikes of goods in Labuan.
He also spoke about the importance of public servants, as the backbone of the Government, to have integrity in carrying out their tasks so that all government plans and policies could be implemented well.
“Bureaucratic red tape should be reduced for more efficient and effective government service delivery,” the King said.
At the ceremony, 375 people received federal awards and medals, including the late former deputy prime minister Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba, who received the Darjah Seri Utama Mahkota Wilayah which carries the title “Datuk Seri Utama”, and former Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal.
Receiving the Darjah Seri Mahkota Wilayah, which carries the title “Datuk Seri”, were 19 individuals including Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Second Finance Minister Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani and deputy secretary-general (Cabinet) in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Mazidah Abdul Majid.
The Agong also conferred the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah, which carries the title “Datuk”, on 76 people. Among them were secretary-general of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry Dr Rose Lena Lazemi, deputy secretary-general of the Tourism and Culture Ministry Dr Junaida Lee Abdullah, and director-general of the National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia Datuk Dr Azuhan Mohamed.
The King advised the award recipients to uphold integrity and protect their image and good name, so as to preserve the honour and dignity of the awards and titles. — Bernama
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