PARLIAMENT A cabinet minister has warned the government could screen the civil servants at any time amidst concerns raised about government information allegedly being leaked by civil servants.

The screening process can be implemented on the civil servants when they first enter service and any time after that if the need occurs, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said.

The security screening for civil servants is implemented under Rule 80 of the Security Orders, she said.

“It is compulsory for them to take and pass the security screening (process) before being confirmed in the post or after the confirmation,” she added.

“This is to check their background to ensure they are free of crime records, security records, drug abuse and any other subversive elements, be it espionage or sabotage,” she added.

“The security rescreening (process) can be implemented on the civil servant at any time based on need and other purposes, such as promotion and transfer of posts,” she said.

The minister was responding to Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali (BN-Bagan Serai) who asked if the government plans to screen and regularise the civil servants to prevent them from leaking classified information.

Several incidents had occured in the past, particularly during the investigation of 1MDB, where the media quoted unknown sources in their reports.

Attorney-general Mohamad Apandi Ali had mulled amending laws to increase the punishment for those who leak state secrets and journalists who report them.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers was looking to amend the Official Secrets Act 1972 to include life imprisonment and 10 strokes of the rotan as punishments.