Malaysian PM Calls On Civil Service To Help Restore Public Trust
The Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has called on civil servants’ collective duty to help him restore citizens’ faith in the government amidst an ongoing probe into alleged state corruption, news site Today reports.
Investigators scrutinising state-investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) have traced nearly $700m of deposits into what they believe are the personal bank accounts of Razak, according to documents from a government probe.
Razak has denied taking any money for “personal gain” but has not addressed the alleged fund transfer into his accounts.
Addressing civil servants at their monthly gathering on 3 August in Putrajaya – Malaysia’s federal administrative centre – Razak said the government was suffering from a “trust deficit” and added: “It is our duty to restore and improve the people’s confidence in us.”
Razak’s address came about a week after he reshuffled his cabinet and removed his deputy premier Muhyiddin Yassin, who had publicly raised questions over the government’s closure of newspapers and delays in the continuing investigation into 1MDB.
He appointed Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as his new deputy, and dropped four other ministers and a deputy minister.
About Winnie Agbonlahor
Winnie is news editor of Global Government Forum. She previously reported for Civil Service World - the trade magazine for senior UK government officials. Originally from Germany, Winnie first came to the UK in 2006 to study a BA in Journalism & Russian at the University of Sheffield. She is bilingual in English and German, and, after spending an academic year abroad in Russia and reporting for the Moscow Times, Winnie also speaks Russian fluently.
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