KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Following the arrest of a suspected embezzler in the Youth and Sports Ministry, the Public Service Department (PSD) will be rotating 50 civil servants who hold “sensitive positions”, according to Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.
He said this will affect those handling finance, awarding of contracts and procurement, and added that the move is in accordance with a public service circular introduced in 2014 that states that holders of such positions need to be rotated between three and five years.
“The circular states a person holding a sensitive position must be transferred between three and five years within or outside their ministries or departments,” he was quoted saying by English language daily New Straits Times.
Three weeks ago, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested a 56-year-old senior official from the Youth and Sports Ministry suspected of embezzling an estimated RM100 million over the past six years.
Among the assets seized from the suspect valued at about RM20 million, were 12 vehicles, designer handbags and jewellery. Some 69 bank accounts containing RM8.3 million were also frozen.
The anti-graft body reportedly said the money was channelled to contractors’ companies and to the suspect’s bank accounts through the National Sports Council (NSC).
Ali said the 50 being rotated now were not suspected of wrongdoing, but did not want other civil servants to be categorised alongside the reported misappropriation case within the Youth and Sports Ministry.
“These officers are not suspected of any wrongdoings as they are good officers,” he was further quoted by the daily.
“We just want them to move around.”
He said some of the officers involved have been holding their positions for close to ten years.
The transfer orders will be distributed this month, he added.
