GOMBAK: Senior government officials, including Cabinet members and top civil servants must not be spared in anti-graft investigations, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said enforcement actions must be carried out effectively at every level, from the federal and state governments to local authorities, and they must be done until a positive impact can be felt by the country and people.
“Most often, the damage come from above. That is why I stress that senior officials including secretaries-general, directors-general and even Cabinet members must be monitored closely,” he said after performing Friday prayers at Masjid Ar-Rahimah in Taman Greenwood, Gombak.
Enforcement at senior levels must be disciplined and implemented more rigorously, as it sets the standard for implementation further down the chain, he said.
The Prime Minister also said enforcement was among the topics discussed during the Cabinet meeting yesterday.
“There must be a consolidated effort that involves the entire government machinery. Only this way, our country can be fixed,” he said.
On Wednesday, Anwar gave government enforcement officers a week to decide if they want to take on greater responsibility in the fight against corruption or request for a change in duties.
On another matter, the Prime Minister said there is no need for the government to explain further on claims that Malaysia handed over more than 5,000ha of land to Indonesia.
In refuting the Opposition’s claims, he said this reflected the misuse of freedom of speech.
“They use freedom of speech to spew lies and provide false facts. I cannot accept this. This is not how the Opposition should behave.”
Anwar had already refuted the reports, saying that Malaysia would engage in amicable negotiations on land compensation issue in the future.
Media reports recently claimed that three villages in Nunukan, North Kalimantan, have moved to Malaysia, while Indonesia was said to have gained an additional 5,207ha from Malaysia.
According to the reports, despite this, the boundary dispute in the Pulau Sebatik area remains unresolved.
On Jan 23, Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said negotiations regarding the marking and measurement of Outstanding Boundary Problem areas were carried out harmoniously between the two countries, in accordance with international law and existing boundary agreements.
More recently, Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin urged the government to be transparent over the issue.
