PUTRAJAYA: The government is committed to making use of technology to strengthen integrity, good governance and corruption prevention initiatives, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah, who is also energy transition and water transformation minister, said e-government services, blockchain application and data analysis are also being explored to enhance transparency and accountability as technology did not serve only as a challenge to but also provided the opportunity to boost integrity, good governance and tackle corruption in the digital era.
"Public and private organisations can make use of technology to boost transparency, coordinate processes and develop more responsible and efficient systems. Accepting technological advances can revolutionise the way we boost integrity and good governance.
"Maybe the Tech for Integrity (T4I) platform under the World Economic Forum's Partnership Against Corruption Initiative can be a reference or inspiration to speed up corruption prevention efforts, reduce the time needed to boost integrity and good governance and at the same time, make a drastic impact," he said when officiating the Integrity, Governance and Anti-Corruption Awards (AIGA) 2023 here today.
He said this in a speech read by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.
According to Fadillah, the unity government was committed to enhancing national integrity and good governance and fight corruption regardless of status and standing.
He pointed out that the commitment was proven when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim issued the Prime Minister's Directive No 1 Year 2023 — Efforts to Strengthen National Governance: Setting Up Governance Committees at Federal, State and Government Ministry/Department/Agency Levels.
"The directive was further strengthened through the setting up of a special national governance cabinet committee aimed at tackling weak governance that can cause leakages of government funds, wastage and corruption risks, embezzlement and abuse of power," he said.
Fadillah also stressed that a culture of integrity in the Malaysian landscape was not a mere agenda but a mission that required collective and continuous effort along with long-term dedication.
On AIGA, which is organised by the Integrity Institute of Malaysia (IIM), he said that the awards functioned as acknowledgement and appreciation to organisations that rose to the challenge of inculcating a culture of integrity in their organisation.
"The award ceremony is not just to celebrate successful award winners, but is a call to act collectively and continuously to turn integrity into a culture in Malaysia," he added.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, who is also IIM chairman, and Public Services Department director-general Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz were also present at the ceremony. — Bernama
