Syed Saddiq: Let’s have an MACC officer stationed in my office

PUTRAJAYA: The Youth and Sports Ministry wants to be the first ministry to have an Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer stationed in the minister’s office.

Its minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (pic) said he would submit an application to MACC for the placement.

“I want to continue implementing changes and among the measures to be taken is placing an MACC officer in the minister’s office to strengthen and enhance integrity, in the process curbing all forms of corruption, especially in the minister’s office, ” he said.

Speaking to reporters after the ministry’s monthly gathering, where he also delivered his New Year message, Syed Saddiq said his ministry wanted to lead where good governance, efficiency and trustworthiness are concerned, through the implementation of five integrity-based plans, including the placement of MACC officers.Other plans include an open tender process for contracts, corruption risk assessment reports, complete audit reports and declaration of assets for officers in the minister’s office.

Syed Saddiq said that out of the 25 ministries evaluated by MACC, the Youth and Sports Ministry was in 16th place last year, compared to eighth before that, in the list of

ministries at high risk concerning embezzlement, corruption and abuse of power, which was an improvement for the ministry.

On a separate matter, he welcomed the move by the Public Service Department (PSD) to put on hold its decision to abolish the Critical Service Incentive Payment (BIPK) for 33 critical schemes that was supposed to have taken effect on Jan 1.

“We want to ensure that our young professionals, especially those working in the health sector, are taken care of in the best manner possible.

“The move to suspend the earlier decision is a pleasing one, ” said Syed Saddiq, who had been critical of PSD’s decision from the start.

In a statement on Thursday, PSD said the decision to abolish the BIPK had been put on hold pending a reevaluation with stakeholders and a Cabinet decision. — Bernama