Malaysia PM Anwar tells Cabinet, civil servants to ditch culture of contentment

PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his Cabinet members and civil servants must move away from the “culture of contentment” and embrace a more reformist role, in his first monthly address to the staff in the Prime Minister’s Department in 2023.

“The system has been operating steadily since the 1990s, but we must acknowledge our shortcomings apart from accepting our strengths,” Datuk Seri Anwar was quoted as saying on Malaysiakini.

“We must govern our own politics, must have a clear direction and be steadfast in bringing changes to restore the dignity of our nation,” he said on Monday.

Mr Anwar also urged his staff to be responsive to the need for change. For example, he said the Immigration Department had responded well when asked to take more aggressive action to overcome the shortage of foreign labour in the plantation, manufacturing and other sectors, so as not to hurt the country’s economic growth.

He added that civil servants should not hold back from pointing out any violation of laws by the government, even if he is the one at fault.

“This is a clear directive from me. If there are minutes that violate laws and regulations, I must be informed. Even if it comes from me,” Mr Anwar was quoted as saying on The Star.

“More so if it comes from my officers, the deputy prime ministers or other ministers,” he said, adding that civil servants should not be afraid to speak out for fear of being transferred.

Also present at the briefing were Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Armizan Ali and Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali.