DBKL to reshuffle low-ranking officers every few years
Ida Nadirah Ibrahim
Malay Mail20 March 2019
Khalid Samad speaks to reporters in Parliament in Kuala Lumpur March 13, 2019. — Picture by Shafwan ZaidonMore
KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — Low-ranking Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) officers will face a reshuffle every two to three years to curb corruption, Khalid Samad said today.
The Federal Territories minister said since a reshuffle within the top ranks is limited, the exercise is implemented within the lower ranks instead, as he said abuse of power could happen at all levels.
“We found that some of the officers had held their post for many years. We cannot allow this to take place anymore we have to reshuffle every two to three years.
“The KL Mayor is currently conducting restructuring exercise, moving the officers between departments,” he told reporters when met at the Parliament lobby here today, adding that the reshuffling exercise had begun earlier this year.
Citing the four executive director posts as an example, which was first created in August 2016, Khalid said the positions are filled with only four people, and a reshuffle would take place only among themselves.
“The changes we make are at the lower ranks because it is difficult to do it at the top since DBKL is a closed service, where the reshuffle takes place within the council itself.
“So it is very limited [at the top], but on the lower ranks, there are many officers and corruption can take place as well but we can curb this [at this stage].
“Because if the officer stays in one post for too long, he can develop a relationship with certain contractors and shops, and would give special treatments,” he said.
Yesterday, it was reported that DBKL officers were among the 16 civil servants detained by anti-graft authorities on suspicion of accepting bribes and protecting massage premises around the federal capital.
The suspects were believed to have accepted bribes from owners of massage parlours. They were detained in 16 locations around the Klang Valley.
Khalid had then responded in a Facebook post, saying he would not protect any wrongdoers.
