The Health Ministry has warned its staff that they are not allowed to make public statements on government policy, programmes and decisions without consent.
In reference to statements made by alleged Health Ministry staff on social media of late, the ministry said inappropriate statements that were not fact-checked would cause public unease and damage the civil service's reputation.
The ministry did not specify the nature of the infringing statements that were being made on social media but hinted that the statements contained grievances.
"(The rules) are not meant to stop (civil servants) from speaking out, but it is designed to ensure that they use the correct channels for feedback and complaints.
"This is to protect the image and credibility of officers, the civil service and the government," it said.
Recently, several complaints on "queue cutting" for Covid-19 vaccines have emerged on social media, purportedly authored by civil servants.
Among others, one complainant - a doctor - alleged that this happened among Kelantan government staff. The Kelantan government has refuted this.
Malaysiakini previously highlighted complaints from staff at Serdang Hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they could face disciplinary action, about a proposal to prioritise hospital administrators and influencers, but the Health Ministry dismissed this as "fake news".
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had also called for whistleblowers to come forward amid more complaints of similar attempts. - Mkini
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