The recent transfer exercise involving Customs officers holding sensitive positions is an effort to prevent occurrences of misconduct, abuse of power and corruption.
Customs director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin said the transfers were in line with the department's policies for officers who had served between three and five years to be relocated.
She refuted claims of "forced" transfers, emphasising that the transfers were aimed at providing Customs officers with diverse experiences and exposures.
She said the transfer order was in accordance with Permanent Staffing Order No. 78, Royal Malaysian Customs Department Officer Placement and Exchange Policy, dated Aug 10, 2023, and the method of appointing officers in the public service and other appointment-related matters in accordance with Section UP.2.2.1 (Guide to the Exchange of Officers) issued by the Public Service Department with effect from Jan 1, 2022.
"It is also subject to the National Anti-Corruption Plan 2019 — 2023 (Mid-Term Review) under Strategic Objective 2.1: Engineering the Public Service towards good governance involving initiatives to strengthen mechanisms for enforcing mandatory work rotation for civil servants who hold a sensitive position," she said on the department's Facebook page.
Anis Rizana stressed that the transfers aimed to enhance the productivity of officers and, consequently, the organisation they served.
"It also allows officers to view the organisation they are placed in from a different perspective, thus, they are expected to try new approaches to increase organisational efficiency in the new postings."
She said the department followed the implementation of government officer policy placement and transfers when making such decisions.
"It involves the transfer of officers who have served for at least three years but not more than five years in a post classified as sensitive.
"Transfer of officers who have served for at least three years but not more than eight years in a post are classified as non-sensitive.
"An officer can also be transferred either on the order of the Customs D-G or upon the officer's own request, approved by the D-G based on service interests, without being bound by the service period specified.
"All transfers involve Customs officers who have served for more than seven years in the same locality."
The department also allows for the postponement of temporary placement changes according to the application and until now some changes have been postponed due to family, health and the education of children.
"The department always emphasises the wellbeing of departmental members, in line with the desire to create an efficient organisation under the elements of efficiency, agility and integrity to contribute to the economic development of the country through efficient government revenue collection, trade facilitation and close collaboration with all stakeholders."
Harian Metro reported on Thursday that hundreds of low-ranking officers from the Customs Department claimed to be victims of the department's top management after being forcibly transferred.
The transfer orders, affecting a substantial number of Customs officers, were claimed to have been executed without considering the wellbeing of the officers.
Malaysia Customs Officers Association president Abdul Malik Mohamed Zin had said the issued transfer orders were definitive, with no room for appeals, as outlined in the corresponding transfer directive.
