THE Sarawak government is setting up Integrity Units led by Certified Integrity Officers (CeIO) at all its ministries, government departments and statutory bodies.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak is the first state in the country to take such initiative as part of its commitment to raise the level of integrity among civil servants.

“In view of this, we are launching the CeIO course today to train 40 state civil servants including those from state statutory bodies who will then be placed at the respective Integrity Units.

“Apart from that, starting today a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer will also be placed at the State Integrity and Ombudsman Unit to assist us in cultivating integrity, improving accountability, transparency and governance in the administration and state statutory bodies,” he said when officiating the ‘Majlis Amanat Perdana Integrity 2019’ (Mapi) at Penview Convention Centre here yesterday.

Abang Johari also urged all state government agencies to identify their respective corruption risks and provide a plan to manage corruptions.

“Based on our observation and from the feedback we received, almost all of the programmes and training sessions we organised involved senior staff or management and profesisonal groups.

“I think that in order to increase integrity and fight corruption, I want the support groups to also be included by providing them with appropriate courses.”

He hoped that all organisations will have sufficient trained personnel to be placed under the Integrity Unit at all agencies.

“The Integrity Unit will be led by the CeIO who will report directly to the Integrity and Ombudsman Unit,” he said.

Also present were Deputy Chief Ministers Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Utilities Minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong, Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Integrity and Ombudsman) Datuk Talib Zulpilip, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani and MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull.

-BORNEO POST ONLINE