Keep it up: Anwar shaking hands with members of the Prime Minister's Department who attended the Prime Minister's Monthly Assembly at the Puspanitapuri De' Seri Endon hall in Putrajaya. — Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: Continue to serve the public well, improve productivity and listen to constructive criticism – that was the message from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the about 1.6 million civil servants as the public service looks towards 2024.
“If we have (good) values, we absorb them into Madani; I am confident we can uplift the government and stop past excesses,” he said in the last monthly assembly for this year at the Prime Minister’s Department here.
“We build from that strength and we leave behind the excesses that have happened.
“Hopefully, we can bring the curtain down on 2023 with a spirit of togetherness and open a chapter in the history of the country,” said Anwar, who is also Finance Minister.
He urged civil servants to always improve themselves, increase their productivity while overcoming their weaknesses and deficiencies.
“That is what I have said from the start so that we adopt a culture of listening to criticism and constructive views.
“It’s good to follow the culture of our society; people generally ask questions that are quite critical but polite because values and morals are maintained,” he said in his speech, Bernama reported.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Public Service Department director-general Datuk Dr Zulkapli Mohamed.
Anwar also said civil servants must use fundamental values in religion, morals and culture to stay firmly rooted to the ground as the country strives to reach for the sky in terms of advancement in several new fields, such as artificial intelligence and new sources of energy.
“What we are trying to reach for the sky is new idealism, technological change, digital and so on, find ways and strive so that we can raise and restore dignity to our beloved nation of Malaysia,” he said.
Anwar added he has faith that the nation’s civil servants can contribute to its economic and social transformation.
Meanwhile, during a discussion with the chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd, Eric Li, yesterday morning, Anwar said the automotive giant planned on making Malaysia as its strategic hub.
The Prime Minister said he told the meeting that investments made in Malaysia must benefit local talents and businesses.
He added that Putrajaya is ready to provide the necessary support to develop the Automotive Hi-Tech Valley, which is being actively worked on by Geely and DRB-Hicom.
“Geely said among the attractions for them to invest in this country is the benefits of trade relations between Malaysia and countries such as the United States, and the European Union, apart from the ownership of interests in Proton.
“I was also informed that following our previous meeting, some progress has been made.
“I also took the opportunity to witness the exchange of the Joint Venture Agreement between DRB-Hicom and Geely and the Memorandum of Understanding between Altel Group Sdn Bhd and GYMD Digital Technology Co Ltd,” he wrote on his Instagram post.
Also present during the meeting were Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and prominent businessman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary.
