KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has given 76 state statutory bodies and government-interest companies (GIC) up to December to set up their respective integrity and governance units.
Hajiji made the order after only eight statutory bodies and GIC, which were essentially government-linked companies, had acted to establish the unit.
“I have ordered the 76 statutory bodies and GIC to take this matter seriously. I am only giving them three more months to set up the unit,” he said when launching the Sabah Integrity Day here yesterday.
The nine bodies and GIC that have set up the unit so far were: Sabah Rubber Industry Board, Sabah Forestry Development Authority, Sabah Housing and Town Development Authority, Sabah Credit Corporation, and Sabah Economic Development Corporation.
Others were Yayasan Sabah Group, Sabah Urban Development Corporation Sdn Bhd, Sabah Parks Board of Trustees and Sabah Tourism Board.
On November 12, 2019, the state government issued an order that all government-linked companies be called GIC. This was done so that the unit could be set up within two years.
Hajiji said the unit was important to instil integrity within the civil service’s working culture, which would then emphasise transparency and impartiality while preventing any abuse of power.
“This responsibility must be shouldered to the best of their abilities by the 20,920 civil servants in the state, as well as 107,097 Federal Government staff.
“This (integrity) is also demanded by the 3.4 million Malaysians in Sabah. Leaks will damage the integrity of the civil service,” he said.
The Chief Minister also ordered the 17 departments under the Chief Minister’s Department to develop their respective Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan (OACP) by December.
