PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has instructed all Cabinet members to place renewed and explicit emphasis on integrity following recent revelations of misconduct involving the top management of government departments and agencies.
Madani Government spokesperson Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the directive was conveyed during the Cabinet meeting on Friday (Jan 30), building on concerns raised by the Prime Minister particularly on enforcement-related issues.
Fahmi said Anwar stressed that certain actions taken by enforcement bodies had, in some instances, reflected attitudes that risk eroding public confidence in national institutions.
"When we look at some of the actions taken by enforcement agencies, they suggest conduct that does not help and, in fact, undermines public trust in institutions," he told a press conference.
He stressed that the Cabinet had not interfered in ongoing investigations, including those involving the Director-General of the Department of Environment and his deputy.
"The Cabinet does not intervene. We fully leave it to the enforcement agencies to take action," the Communications Minister said.
He added that Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar has also instructed all ministry secretaries-general to further tighten integrity controls.
The remarks come amid a high-profile MACC probe into alleged abuse of power and corruption linked to electronic waste management.
The Director-General of the Department of Environment and his deputy were recently remanded after being detained by the MACC.
Investigators are focusing on alleged corruption in e-waste management believed to have taken place over several years.
The MACC previously uncovered large-scale illegal imports of e-waste, with intelligence suggesting thousands of containers were smuggled through major ports.
On Monday (Jan 26), the MACC reported freezing 16 bank accounts involving about RM10.2mil, in addition to seizing cash and assets.
Separately, Fahmi confirmed that the Cabinet discussed a proposal to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure to two terms, with a statement expected from Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
