THE rise of bankruptcy among civil servants has continued this year, with 666 of them being declared bankrupt as of September this year, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) revealed that this increase marked the second year in a row since 2022.
She noted that while cases had dropped in 2020 (1,009), 2021 (678) and 2022 (621), civil servant bankruptcies have been on the uptrend from 2023 (628), with the total number of cases now at 3,602 over the last five years.
Azalina said resolving the issue would require the cooperation of all heads of ministries and departments.
“Department chiefs in every ministry are responsible for monitoring and evaluating their officers who are in serious debt, and ensuring that they continue their debt payments from time to time.
“The government is also determined to carry out continuous monitoring of the status of serious indebtedness among civil servants by providing preventive measures, education and enforcement on financial management through the Organisation Anti-Corruption Plan.
“The Insolvency Department will also continue its efforts to educate and spread awareness among civil servants of the risks and dangers associated with bankruptcy,” she said in a parliamentary written reply on Wednesday.
Azalina was responding to a question by Datuk Seri Richard Riot (GPS-Serian) on the government’s efforts to deal with the concerning rise in bankruptcy among civil servants.
