KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) supports the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission’s (EAIC) statement that it is an offence if department heads do not take action against civil servants engaged in misconduct and corruption.

Its president, Datuk Adnan Mat said department heads, as leaders, needed to have the courage to take action and avoid matters that could lead to a breach of ethics and regulations in the civil service.

"If department heads have the authority to act and carry out their duties effectively, then the organisation will become more competent and competitive.

"Misconduct in the civil service is something we abhor, as well as covering up such incidents or allowing them to continue,” he said in a statement here today.

Media reports quoted EAIC chairman Tan Sri Ismail Bakar saying yesterday that civil servants who engages in misconduct and violates the principles of integrity should be removed from the system, including department heads if they protect such misconduct to ensure that the civil service is protected.

Adnan said the EAIC’s recommendation not to "keep” such civil servants could be implemented based on the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) 1993, that gazetted clear guidelines for all heads of department.

The regulations, among others, provide that action can be taken against a civil servant, including warnings, fines, loss of emoluments, postponement of salary increases, salary reduction, demotion or dismissal if found guilty of violating the set regulations, he said.

He stressed that Cuepacs was certain that only a small minority of department heads from certain enforcement agencies were not concerned with issues of misconduct and corruption among their subordinates

"Cuepacs hopes that all civil servants, regardless of their positions, will carry out their duties in ensuring the civil service remains at its best standards,” he said. — Bernama