PUTRAJAYA – Outdated regulations in the civil service that are no longer suitable will be amended to speed up the process of implementing projects, especially those that will benefit the people, said Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.
He said instructions had been issued to the finance and economy ministries, as well as the Public Service Department and Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) to study the amendments to the regulations.
This is because, he said, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his one-year tenure helming the country’s administration emphasised efforts to expedite the implementation of policies and basic development projects for the people.
“That is why, cynically, he (Anwar) mentioned recently, that it’s possible to break a few rules (to speed up the project) cynically.
“That doesn’t (mean) break the rules, but to be fast but at the same time stress the issue of governance. The only thing that cannot be amended is the Quran, but rules can be amended,” he said in an interview with the media in conjunction with the one-year administration of the unity government.
Previously, Anwar had said that the implementation of projects this year was better compared to last year, though not satisfactory.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, had told all ministries to expedite the planned projects before the end of this year.
Zuki said the implementation of the dilapidated school construction project through the Bitara Madani initiative was the best example in terms of expediting projects that are beneficial to the people.
Bitara Madani, which adopts the overall government approach by the Special Task Force for Public Sector Reform, can speed up the implementation of projects by several months instead of more than a year previously.
“The process is shortened and development expedited. What is desired (by the prime minister), namely projects impacting the people can be implemented,” he said.
Previously, Zuki said 97.1% or 8,109 small projects out of the 8,354 Education Ministry projects had obtained letters of acceptance as of October 31.
A total of 4,764 projects have been completed, 3,018 are in progress and 328 projects were terminated, he said. – December 1, 2023