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PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stressed that recent shortcomings in the performance of several government ministries should not be taken as a reflection of the overall efficiency of those departments.
Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers at Masjid Usamah, Anwar said the government’s ministries have generally performed well compared with previous years, despite isolated issues.
“When there are calls for performance improvements, this does not reflect the ministry as a whole. Certain immediate actions must be taken, particularly for small projects that directly benefit the people,” he said.
Anwar clarified that the weaknesses identified involve only a handful of officers and should not create a negative perception of entire ministries.
He underscored the importance of performance evaluations to ensure that government benefits reach the public more quickly and effectively.
His remarks followed a statement yesterday from Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, who revealed that 14 ministries failed to meet targets for the implementation of physical development projects allocated last year.
These projects include basic public infrastructure such as roads, schools, clinics, and hospitals, which have direct impact on local communities.
Tan Sri Shamsul Azri added that the chief secretaries of the underperforming ministries will be called in for review and that these shortcomings will affect their performance assessments under the DEEP (Departmental Efficiency Evaluation and Performance) system.
The prime minister’s clarification aims to balance public awareness of specific delays with the broader message that government departments continue to operate efficiently, while ensuring accountability for targeted improvements where needed. - January 16, 2026
