The Pakatan Harapan government will restore the positions or provide adequate compensation to civil servants who were wrongly punished by former premier Najib Abdul Razak's administration.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said this in response to a question during a town hall session in Putrajaya with Public Administration officials this afternoon.

An officer had asked if the government would help those who were subjected to disciplinary action for not being in favour of their previous political masters.

The officer also claimed that civil servants who supported BN were spared disciplinary action in the event of transgressions.

"We promise to help those who have become victims,” said Mahathir.

“But we need to see the reports first. We had helped some of them but the number is great, there could be some victims which we have overlooked.

"The government will act by restoring them to their former positions or compensate them," he added.

However, Mahathir said on the issue of compensation, the government must look into this as it is facing budget constraints. 

The prime minister also stressed that when people believe and act according to what is right, they must be ready to face the unfair consequences.

Citing his own experience in the journey of dethroning the previous government, he said he too had been tortured (dera) in the past.

"I have been tortured too. My allowance was cut. My friends could not come close to me as they were afraid.

"But thank God, we succeeded. So you have to accept that we will be tortured because we refuse to submit ourselves to commit wrongdoing," he said.