PUTRAJAYA, Sept 3 — Civil servants should not take any letter of support from a minister or a politician as a directive for them to approve any application, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner (Prevention) Datuk Shamshun Baharin Mohd Jamil said.

He said it was not an offence for a minister or a politician to write a letter of support when asked by the voters in their respective constituencies.

"However, as government servants, we cannot take that letter as a directive for us,” he told reporters in response to recent reports regarding the matter.

Shamshun said there were guidelines in the civil service that prohibited civil servants from taking a letter of support as a directive.

"Government servants cannot take it (support letter) as a basis for making a decision,” he added. — Bernama