PUTRAJAYA will draft a new law allowing punitive measures to be taken against civil servants who purposely cause leakages and the wastage of government funds.

Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) director-general Abu Kassim Mohamed said this was agreed on in the Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption meeting today.

“The government will draft a law that permits punitive action to be taken against officers who intentionally cause leakages and the wastage of government funds,” he told a press conference after the meeting.

Present at the meeting were Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Abu Kassim, who is former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief, said a National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) will be drafted to deal with issues concerning governance, integrity and corruption.

The NACP will replace the existing National Integrity Plan.

Abu Kassim said all ministries have been told to identify at least three weaknesses involving the law, policies or existing regulations that need to be reviewed to curb graft, and they must be submitted to GIACC one month from today.

He added that several agencies, including the Malaysian Institute of Integrity, Public Complaints Bureau and Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission, will be placed under the purview of GIACC, which was set up last week.

This is to ensure the agencies have no overlapping functions. – June 8, 2018.