Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has expressed concern over the increasing number of cases of corruption in the civil service, and called for more effective measures to curb the menace to society.

"More than half of the 1,342 people detained during the 1998-2002 period for alleged involvement in corrupt practices are civil servants and this is worrying," he said at the opening of the Good Governance Committee Convention 2003 in Kuching.

More effective measures must be implemented immediately to curb corruption especially in the public service, Bernama quoted him as saying.

Abdullah, who is also Home Minister, said the priority in enhancing the government's integrity should be in ensuring that it is free of corruption, as incidents of corrupt practice and abuse of power among officers are attracting more public attention especially in the mass media.

"Efforts to curb corruption, abuse and malpractice would not be successful through enforcement of the various laws, without a change in attitude and values among the civil servants," he pointed out.

Discipline needed

A civil servant, he said, should have total abhorrence of acts of untrustworthiness and irresponsibility as well as refrain from committing malpractice, abusing power and corruptly accepting gratification.

"It is essential to have civil servants possessing positive mindset and noble values and with a high level of discipline who reject the temptation of easy money through corrupt practices," he added.

Abdullah said that incidents of corruption and breach of trust signalled defects in the public service delivery system.

"For instance, if certain services are taking far too time or the process is extremely complicated, then the public may be inclined to resort to corruption to seek the services they require," he added.

A total of 560 participants comprising secretaries-general of the various ministries, state secretaries and heads of government departments and agencies are attending the two-day convention where 12 working papers will be tabled.