Home Ministry to implement more frequent job rotations to curb misconduct - Saifuddin Nasution

He said that this move aligns with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's recommendation made during the 19th edition of the Majlis Amanat Perdana Perkhidmatan Awam (MPPA XIX) 2024 recently, where Anwar urged department heads to regularly conduct job rotations.

"We will re-evaluate placements, as the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of preventing any department (officials) from remaining in one position for too long, which could lead to integrity violations. We will implement this without bias," Saifuddin Nasution said.

"Following the Prime Minister's speech, I immediately contacted KSU (secretary-general) Datuk Ruji Ubi to identify which agencies under the ministry could adopt job rotation practices, and we will expedite this process," he added during a press conference after the Home Ministry's monthly assembly and National Month celebration.

He stressed that regular job rotations are essential to prevent recurring cases of corruption and integrity violations within enforcement agencies.

Citing a recent case involving the arrest of five Immigration Department officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), he emphasised that the ministry will not tolerate such misconduct and will continuously work to address it.

"The most critical aspect is that the Home Ministry maintains a zero-tolerance policy for integrity violations, as this issue is prominently highlighted by the Prime Minister," he said.

He also deferred further investigation to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), expressing confidence that the arrests followed thorough processes, including intelligence gathering, identification, and monitoring.

"The MACC's arrest of several individuals in the Immigration Department is as the Prime Minister has reiterated several times that the MACC has full authority to act on all parties including agencies under the Home Ministry," he said.

Recent media reports highlighted the dismantling of a syndicate involved in smuggling foreign workers into the country without proper inspections, allegedly orchestrated by individuals within enforcement agencies.

The MACC's 'Op Pump' operations, conducted across the Klang Valley, Penang, and Kelantan, resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals. Those detained include four company owners, three members of the public and five law enforcers stationed at KLIA Terminal 2, who are believed to have managed the entry of foreigners into the country without proper inspection.

-- BERNAMA