PUTRAJAYA, Oct 19 — Finance Ministry (MoF) staff have been urged to adopt the principles of ‘Amanah, Tangkas dan Mudah Cara’ (ATM) or Trust, Agility and Facilitation, to strengthen governance and accelerate the implementation of government policies and programmes under Budget 2027.
Treasury Secretary-General Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican said the principles also underscored the need for MoF to set an example for other ministries and agencies in implementing governance reforms, while ensuring that every government allocation was used effectively for the benefit of the people.
Speaking at the Finance Ministry’s monthly assembly today, he said trust must form the foundation of the ministry’s workforce, particularly in ensuring transparency and integrity in public financial management.
The event was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister. Also present were Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Dr Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.
Johan said the reforms to be implemented included the enforcement of the Government Procurement Act next year and the disclosure of details of all government contracts, including those awarded through direct negotiations, except those involving security matters.
He said MoF would also draft a State-Owned Enterprises Act to strengthen governance in the investment and procurement activities of government-owned entities, including statutory bodies and companies under Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc).
“On governance, the Prime Minister also announced that MoF would draft a State-Owned Enterprises Act to strengthen governance, particularly in investment and procurement by government-owned entities, including statutory bodies and MOF Inc companies.
“The Prime Minister intends to prevent abuses similar to those that occurred at 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), Tabung Haji and the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) from recurring in the future,” he said.
On agility, Johan said ministry staff had been reminded to improve efficiency and speed in decision-making and facilitate the implementation of government projects, in view of the public’s increasingly high expectations.
He said the Chief Secretary to the Government had directed all ministries and officers to begin planning and procurement processes earlier to ensure that projects directly benefiting the people could be implemented promptly, as government projects typically only began to show progress in the second quarter of the year.
“MoF will also explore allowing procurement processes to begin without having to wait for the issuance of allocation warrants,” he said.
On facilitation, Johan said the principle required MoF staff not to focus solely on procedural compliance but also to seek solutions to help other ministries and agencies implement programmes that benefited the country.
However, he said such efforts must remain within the scope of existing powers and regulations, while ensuring that every project delivered the best value for money and did not cause losses to the government.
Johan also urged MoF staff to make efforts to assist the people, particularly vulnerable groups, a key performance indicator (KPI) for next year.
“I encourage everyone to adopt the KPI of doing good and helping someone through the authority we have.
“I hope this can be practised alongside efforts to help the Prime Minister realise the MADANI Economy agenda, implement and expedite programmes under Budget 2027, and support the government’s overall agenda for next year and beyond,” he said. — Bernama