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New Straits Times

Integrity agency pushes for overhaul to strengthen civil service accountability [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM) is pushing for an overhaul in how integrity is assessed in the civil service, including tighter asset declaration protocols and making the Individual Integrity Profiling (IIP) system mandatory for frontline personnel. Its president and chief executive officer, Datuk Ahmad Ramdzan Daud, said the move involves strengthening supervisory accountability to close enforcement gaps and prevent abuse of power. The push aligns with the Madani government's civil service reform, which promises cleaner governance and improved transparency. It comes amid mounting public pressure following cases like the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) counter-setting scandal, where Immigration officers colluded with syndicates, exposing systemic flaws. In July, the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) also found foreign travellers carrying images of local enforcement officers, believed to be part of syndicates' tactics to identify officers and bypass scrutiny. MCBA director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain warned that syndicates were now equipping individuals with photos of officers in uniform and plainclothes to aid illegal entry. "Corruption happens due to weaknesses in internal enforcement systems," said Ramdzan. Acknowledging rising public unease over ostentatious displays of wealth among enforcement officers, Ramdzan said: "If you have a million ringgit in your account and are living luxuriously, people will question whether that matches your salary." He highlighted inconsistencies in asset declaration processes across agencies and emphasised the role of supervisors in flagging suspicious behaviour. "If your officer wears a Rolex today, an Omega tomorrow, or drives a different luxury car every other day and you don't ask questions, what kind of supervisor are you?" Ramdzan said IIM was committed to tightening asset declaration guidelines, stressing that integrity must be non-negotiable. "Currently, we are reviewing the tightening of governance guidelines related to asset declarations, particularly for public servants, so that we can identify any irregularities or suspicious changes in lifestyle and asset acquisition," he said. He highlighted the IIP assessment system, a questionnaire-based data-gathering tool designed to screen officers across agencies by capturing indicators related to background, personality traits and performance. Introduced in 2022, the IIP system focuses on how individuals demonstrate integrity within a work environment, including aspects like honesty, rule-following and ethical decision-making. Ramdzan said the system provided a risk profile to help relevant agencies make informed assessments. However, he said the IIP system's effectiveness depended heavily on how rigorously it was enforced. "So, it is only as good as its enforcement. If agencies don't use it, it becomes just another formality," he said. Beyond screening tools, Ramdzan said the deeper issue was in a cultural failure to confront misconduct. "The bigger issue is our collective reluctance to speak up or question what clearly looks wrong. "Silence enables abuse and integrity ultimately begins with accountability at every level of public service."