KUCHING: The Ministry of Local Government and Housing (MLGH) plans to strengthen integrity programmes across all local authorities (LAs) starting next year.
“I look forward to see the setting up of integrity units in every local authority. These units will coordinate all integrity (aspects) for each local authority,” said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian when officiating at the state-level International Anti-Corruption Day (HARA) 2020 at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
Noting that the event was held at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, the state government’s administrative headquarters, he said this signified the state government’s commitment and seriousness in fighting corruption.
“Integrity units have been set up in most ministries, government departments, and agencies. In line with the state government’s directive, there are programmes and events related to integrity which had been implemented this year and in past years.”
For MLGH, he said all appointed councillors in Sarawak were given anti-corruption training, adding that a corruption-free pledge was made by all MLGH officers and agencies during Integrity Day 2020 in January this year.
He also said MLGH had completed its Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan (OACP) 2021-2025 which was launched in November, encompassing six objectives, 10 strategic objectives, and 101 initiatives to be implemented.
“My ministry plans to engage local authorities to come up with their OACP in 2021.”
He hoped all MLGH officers, especially local authorities as frontline service providers, would uphold integrity, transparency, and public accountability in exercising their duties and responsibilities.
On the national theme of HARA 2020 – ‘PBT Perangi Pemberi Rasuah’ (‘Local Authorities Fight Bribe Givers’) – he said this was in tandem with HARA’s objectives of making local authorities anti-corruption preachers while reflecting integrity in fulfilling the obligations of local authorities.
He said the international theme of HARA 2020 ‘Recover with Integrity’ was also highly appropriate as most countries and their governments, including Sarawak, invested heavily in the health sector while also implementing various economic recovery stimulus packages.
“We need to put anti-corruption measures, transparency, and accountability measures in place in order to counter all form of leakages that can jeopardise our efforts.
“Thus, we must fight corruption in the same way we are combating the Covid-19 pandemic to enable us to recover with integrity.”
Also present were Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Integrity and Ombudsman) Datuk Talib Zulpilip, Assistant Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil, permanent secretary to MLGH Datuk Antonio Kahti Galis, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Sarawak director Mohd Zaki Hassan, and other representatives.
