Kota Kinabalu: Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) will ensure every aspect of city governance is free from elements of corruption, abuse of power and misconduct, in line with government efforts to improve the effectiveness of public service delivery systems.
Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah said this effort would ensure that every procedure and policy implemented by DBKK adheres to principles of accountability and transparency.
“DBKK will also empower corruption prevention efforts in city administration by emphasising three main pillars, strengthening prevention and enforcement mechanisms through regular audits, monitoring governance systems and creating more effective reporting systems to identify and close weaknesses that could be exploited,” he said at the signing of the Cooperation Note between MACC and the Mayor of Kota Kinabalu, at the Sabah International Convention Centre, here, Tuesday.
MACC was represented by Sabah MACC Director, Datuk Karunanithy Y Subbiah, while DBKK was represented by Sabin, witnessed by MACC Chief Commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki.
Sabin said, as a sign of DBKK’s commitment to ensuring the effectiveness of this Cooperation Note, several key initiatives would be implemented in phases.
These include channelling information related to misconduct cases to MACC, to ensure faster and more effective action can be taken according to established procedures.
He said DBKK would also introduce an online internal complaint system, allowing DBKK staff to report integrity-related issues more safely, transparently and confidentially.
In addition, DBKK and MACC will also establish strategic cooperation in governance monitoring, to ensure all management practices and policy implementations meet the highest standards in terms of transparency and accountability.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir said the signing of this Cooperation Note was not just a symbolic action, but it was a declaration that the State Government would not compromise on matters related to integrity and transparency.
Abidin, who is in charge of DBKK, said Kota Kinabalu, as Sabah’s main administrative and economic centre, should be a model for all other cities in practising the best governance.
Meanwhile, Azam said MACC, as Malaysia’s premier enforcement agency in implementing laws and preventing corruption, is also responsible for ensuring governance and integrity are enhanced across all government agencies.
He welcomed the cooperation agreement, pledging the anti-graft body’s full support to DBKK.
“With the signing of the cooperation note between us and DBKK, this is something we welcome, and we will always support and provide assistance and cooperation wherever possible to DBKK,” he said. He also spoke highly of Sabin, whom he has known for many years.
“I have known him (Sabin) for a long time as the Inland Revenue Board Chief Executive Officer and I believe DBKK is fortunate to have someone with integrity and competence in administering an agency like DBKK,” he said.
He expressed particular interest in the reporting mechanism mentioned by the Mayor. “I was intrigued by Sabin’s speech earlier regarding reporting to MACC. These reports are not just related to crimes but also concern governance systems and misconduct occurring within DBKK.
“This shows transparency or openness by an agency like DBKK, which in my view, is rarely obtained from other departments in this country,” Azam said, tipping his hat to what he considers a breakthrough in public administration transparency.
