PUTRAJAYA: Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said weaknesses in the government’s procurement process were largely due to non-compliance with established procedures, despite the flexibility introduced by the Finance Ministry to facilitate procurement.
He stressed that the irregularities identified were not solely the result of systemic shortcomings, but were mainly caused by procurement board committee members and officers who lacked a thorough understanding of procurement procedures and their underlying principles.
"The Finance Ministry has provided considerable flexibility in the procurement process, but it is still imperative that every procedure is strictly adhered to.
"Procurement cannot be arranged or manipulated at will. What is crucial is that all members of the procurement board fully understand the procedures. When irregularities occur, it is because board members, committee members and officers fail to grasp the spirit of procurement," he said.
He said this after the KSN Media Strike Challenge 2026, held here with media practitioners on Sunday (Jan 18).
Also present were Prime Minister’s Department (JPM) senior deputy secretary-general Datuk Abd Shukor Mahmood; deputy secretary-general (Finance and Development) Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak; and deputy secretary-general (Management) Nasaruddin Abdul Muttalib.
Also in attendance were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah and Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.
Shamsul Azri said weaknesses in the procurement process often stemmed from a lack of understanding of procedures and internal shortcomings among officers in appreciating the principles and objectives of the regulations.
"Weaknesses occur due to insufficient understanding of procurement procedures and our own internal shortcomings," he said.
When asked whether the issue was caused by weak oversight or shortcomings in standard operating procedures (SOPs), Shamsul Azri said it was due to a combination of factors.
Therefore, he said the Finance Ministry would further tighten procurement guidelines for all ministries and statutory bodies to prevent leakages.
Last Friday (Jan 16), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was reported to have said that all procurement decisions involving the Armed Forces, the police and related agencies linked to corruption issues had been temporarily shelved pending full compliance with procurement procedures.
He said the government, through the relevant ministries, would review and restructure all procurement processes to ensure transparency within the existing system.
Following the announcement, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin reportedly said that his ministry was seeking further information and clarification regarding the directive.
He added that the Defence Ministry was also reviewing measures to enhance procurement processes, strengthen governance and prevent future leakages.
