THE recent revelation that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim cancelled a trip arranged for 68 people from agencies of a ministry caused ripples all around, especially on social media. Many responded on X (formerly known as Twitter) demanding to know which agencies were involved while some poked fun at the group.
Anwar told the media that the cancellation is a clear message to all that the Madani government will not compromise on anything that could waste public funds, while also reinforcing its commitment to reform civil service institutions.
“There was an exhibition in Berlin, small in scale, but I noticed that out of the ministry and agency staff, 68 people had registered to go, even though only a small number were actually involved,” he said.
It is understood the ministry’s secretary-general has said that he had no control over the trip as the agencies are under the Finance Ministry (MOF).
“This is unacceptable,” said a senior civil servant.
“Every agency under this ministry is represented on the board of these agencies. This officer also reports to the secretary-general on the activities of the agency.
“A Cabinet paper was prepared for the trip and it was supported and approved at the ministry level. The ministry’s higher ups cannot claim ignorance and pass the buck to the MOF. How can he not know and pass the buck to the MOF instead?”
Following Anwar’s revelation, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar issued a circular to all ministries that the Cabinet had made a decision that for overseas travel involving federal agencies, companies under MOF Incorporated and any Company Limited by Guarantee (CLBG) must get the approval of the ministry’s secretary-general, who is the financial controller.
Apart from this, only important trips will be allowed with a minimum number of officers, and if possible, they must seek ways to reduce their travel expenditure.
Shamsul Azri added that meetings, negotiations, or conferences which have been approved in the yearly budget and the ones approved by the ministers would be allowed.
“There will be no sponsorship for overseas travels other than for the board of directors of agencies. Should there be a need, it should be funded by the ministry responsible with permission from the financial controller,” said the chief secretary in the circular.
The chief secretary also encouraged ministry secretaries- general to get the heads of mission abroad involved for official overseas trips, if it could help in reducing the government’s expenditure.Since being appointed as the chief secretary on Aug 12, Shamsul Azri has been busy meeting top civil servants and conducting several surprise checks of agencies dealing with the public.
He has also outlined five key areas to realise his vision for the civil service that is called the Public Service Reform Agenda, detailing 20 strategies under the five areas that include upholding values and governance, human capital development, organisational development, service delivery, and empowering public-private synergy.
One move proposed is the rationalisation of overseas representative offices. “Starting Jan 1 next year, offices of representatives and government agencies abroad with overlapping functions, duties, and roles will be placed in the same building. This step is to optimise the use of human and financial resources,” he said.
This idea is not new, nor can it be carried out overnight.
Malaysian missions (embassies, consulates), representatives of the Malaysian Investment Develop-ment Authority (Mida), Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), and Tourism Malaysia, even the Immigration Department in some countries, all receive separate allocation from their ministries.
Sometimes Matrade or Mida reps have to be outside the embassy building because they have to meet potential foreign clients. An embassy’s premises is a protected area and not everybody can enter. It would not be a good place for trade, investment, and tourism engagements.
As for making the head of mission (HOM) attend or participate in specific meetings in the absence of participation from headquarters, it may not be a good thing in the long run. For one, many of our missions, if the chief secretary is properly informed, are small in terms of manpower and swamped with work.
Also, some of these meetings may just be too technical. Will the lead agency concerned be able to sufficiently brief the ambassador? It would be pretty challenging to expect a diplomat to quickly become familiar with the substantive knowledge that some negotiations require.
Getting the mandate to negotiate from a ministry other than Wisma Putra adds more challenges. Mandates to negotiate on behalf of Malaysia have to be explicitly granted by the Cabinet.
This move requires proper planning, especially if it involves meetings for regional or multilateral negotiations. We can’t simply categorise what meetings are important and which ones are not and simply give the task to the HOM.
Perhaps the chief secretary is unaware that some of our missions are being treated like travel agents by some other ministries just because big conventions are taking place.
“All these overseas engagements should be treated strategically. Clear guidelines must be set for such travels. The mindset that travelling overseas is entirely bad is wrong,” said a civil servant.
The Madani government is big on reform, especially when it comes to how the civil service should work, but relaying the message of reform goes beyond those 68 people. Reform goes beyond cutting numbers or cancelling trips. Some trade fairs introduce the latest innovations and open up business opportunities. It is very important to optimise decisions or else we will lose out.
Don’t let “reform” become an overused word.
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