KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 ― Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today revealed that more senior government officers from the previous administration will face legal action for corruption.

"It has been six months (since Pakatan Harapan took over Putrajaya); we are in the process of reshaping the government. Actually, practically, creating the new government. Of course, we need officers with experience; unfortunately, some officers with experience were found to be corrupt and some of them have been charged for corruption.

"But there are many more. As soon as we can get the evidence, we will take action against them but, in the meantime, we have work to do to govern the country; we just can't focus on corruption alone,” he said at a press conference after delivering a keynote address at the Anti-Corruption Summit here.

Dr Mahathir indicated that some of the senior government officers involved will be retained for the time being as their services are needed to help the government but they will be removed once they complete their job or task.

Recently, a number of government servants were charged for corruption and criminal breach of trust (CBT), including former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and former Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation chief Datuk Hasanah Ab Hamid.

Dr Mahathir also said that the government will formulate new laws and repeal some of the old and oppressive laws of the previous administration in order to ensure that Putrajaya gives the people the right kind of guidance with regard to corruption.

"So, there is a lot of work to do. A lot of people, a lot of problems. We try to solve the problems as much as we can,” he said.

The Anti-Corruption Summit, with the theme "Good Governance and Integrity for Sustainable Business Growth”, was organised by Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M).

It attracted some 500 participants and a host of local and international speakers, including TI-M president Datuk Akhbar Satar; Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali; former Petro Saudi employee Xavier Andre Justo and Anti-Corruption advisor UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) - South East Asia and Pacific Francesco Checchi. ― Bernama