2 theSun | TUESDAY AUGUST 4 2009

news without borders

TI-M chairman

Focus on KRAs and KPIs, gets invite to PKA

board meetings
by Giam Say Khoon

Najib tells civil servants newsdesk@thesundaily.com

KLANG: Port Klang Authority (PKA) has ap-

pointed Transparency International-Malaysia
(TI-M) chairman Datuk Paul Low to sit in on its
board of directors’ meetings for the next six

by Husna Yusop
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak wants
civil servants and administrative
members to focus their mindset
on the six Key Result Areas (KRAs)
and the Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs).
He said now is the time to take
action and implement the national
KRAs to achieve the ministries’ KPIs
which he announced recently.
“We are now in action mode.
We are no longer talking about
goals or targets but action. All of
us must have a focus in our mind-
set so that our actions are aimed
towards implementing the KRAs
and KPIs with full commitment,”
Najib said at the monthly assembly
of the Prime Minister’s Department
yesterday.
“Hopefully, we could achieve
the two main targets, namely to
fulfill the people’s aspiration and
expectation, and to see a huge
transformation of the country.”
The six KRAs are to fight crime,
combat corruption, upgrade public
transportation, provide greater
access to quality and affordable
education, improve rural infra-
structure, and improve the condi-
tion of low-income households.
“Each of the six KRAs is closely
related to the aspiration and expec-
tation of the rakyat,” Najib said.
They are the government’s
commitment to achieve the goals
Najib and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (centre), ministers and deputy ministers in the Prime MInister’s
Department, and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan (second from left) at the monthly
assembly of the Prime Minister’s Department yesterday.
that have been determined.
“They are closely associated
with the question of accountabil-
ity, which means we are willing
to put aside our interest, willing to
be criticised, or even penalised, if
we failed to achieve the KRAs we
have set,” he said.
“However, as a government
which realised the importance
of instilling the principle of ac-
countability towards the people,
we bravely set the KRAs and KPIs
which we need to achieve in a
certain time.”
He said the most effective
way to achieve transformation is
by having a performance-based
leadership, be it to attain devel-
oped status, be a high-income
country, or be a knowledge-based
innovative nation.
BERNAMAPIX
“This is because the most
meaningful assessment is per-
formance – not in terms of slo-
gans, rhetoric or quality debates,
but in the final analysis, it’s all
about performance,” he said.
“And if we could have a very
meaningful and effective achieve-
ment, I am confident we could
accomplish the huge transforma-
tion.”
months, as proposed by Transport Minister
Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, to ensure that the
recommendations of the ad hoc committee
on administration and corporate governance
for the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) are fol-
lowed through .
PKA chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng, who
announced this yesterday after chairing a
four-hour meeting to discuss the report of
the ad hoc committee released last week,
said although Low was invited to sit in and
speak at the meetings, he is not a board
member.
“We have agreed to invite Low and Ma-
laysian Institute of Corporate Governance
(MICG) secretary-general Paul Chan, as an
alternate member, to attend our board meet-
ings for the next six months starting today,”
Lee said.
He said PKA will appoint at least two
more board members, to meet the recom-
mendations of the ad hoc committee, so
that one-third of the board members are
independent directors with no political or
government background.
“The minister had commented in his
blog (www.ongteekeat.net) that we should
implement it. We have six members on the
board and we still have four vacancies, so
we definitely have to implement and find the
right persons for the positions,” Lee said.
“According to the specifications men-
tioned in the report, there is only one
qualified independent director – former PKA
general manager Datuk M. Rajasingam – (so)
we need to find at least two more independ-
ent directors.”
Asked why Low has not been appointed
an independent director, Lee said Low is
one of the candidates but the board is still
open to suggestions, and recommendations
will be made to Ong for the members to be
appointed.

Bankruptcy Act to be more client-friendly
MALACCA: The Bankruptcy Act 1967 may be
amended to keep up with the changing times,
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said
yesterday.
He said the Insolvency Department had
been entrusted with the responsibility of
reviewing the act and, if necessary, propose
amendments.
“The department will have to look into ways
to make it more client-friendly and correct the
misconception that it is aimed at making the
clients bankrupt,” he said after opening the
department’s senior officers conference here.
“Actually, we have been extending help
in managing governance and discharging
bankrupts.”
Mohamed Nazri said the negative percep-
tion should be corrected in efforts to diversify
the government services and cut down bu-
reaucracy.
“Outdated work processes, which are time-
consuming, such as dissolving companies that
can take up to two years, are very ineffective
and cause the government to be at the losing
end,” he said.
He said the department handled 64,072
On whether the board had discussed ac-
cepting a Selangor state executive councillor
as a member, Lee said it had rejected the
bankruptcy cases from January 2005 to June suggestion by the state government as the
2009. There were 7,521 cases in the first half board already has a state representative
of the year. – deputy state secretary Datuk Noordin
They comprised vehicle hire-purchases Sulaiman – who was removed by the state
(15,176 cases) followed by business loans government after its proposal to place exco
(6,949), personal loans (6,129 cases), out- member Dr Xavier Jayakumar on the board
standing credit cards (3,767), corporate loans was rejected.
(3,566), social guarantors (2,678 ), income tax “We do not have a state representative
defaulters (660s), education loans (138) and now on the board,” he said.
other debts (20,795). Asked if PKA will act against any previous
On the arrest of a Terengganu state assem- board members for alleged mismanagement
blyman in Kijal, Kemaman by the Malaysian of the PKFZ, Lee said this will be only be
Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on decided after going through the report by
Sunday, he said: “If there is a complaint and the PKA task force, which will be released
it has enough evidence, go ahead and press on Monday.
charges. We fight corruption irrespective of “The task force will present the report to
who they are.” PKA and the transport minister by Aug 10
On Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) adviser (Monday). I do not want to make a decision
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks that the now. We will decide after that and we cannot
police’s action against demonstrators in the comment further,” he said.
capital on Saturday was unwarranted, Mo- Lee also said since the report prepared
hamed Nazri said Anwar should not humiliate by the ad hoc committee was very detailed,
the police for carrying out their duties. the board had ordered PKA’s new general
“Anwar had served as deputy prime min- manager, Kee Lian Yong, to go through the
ister. If he is back in the government, will he recommendations and report back in a
stop the police from carrying out their duties?” month.
he asked. – Bernama

briefs
Rep remanded in
bribery probe
KEMAMAN: A Terengganu state as-
semblyman arrested by the Malaysian
Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)
on Sunday was remanded for five days
yesterday to assist in investigations of
being suspected to have received bribes
from a company.
Also remanded until Friday are two
friends of the assemblyman.
The remand order was issued by
Kemaman sessions court judge Rofiah
Mohamad.
All three are now held at the Kema-
nan police district headquarters.
The assemblyman and his friends
were arrested at a hotel in Kijal, near
here, for allegedly demanding bribes of
between 10% and 13% of the value of a
landscape project worth RM2 million.
The MACC found RM5,000 on the
assemblyman, who is alleged to have
received RM15,000 from the company.
-- Bernama
Police deny videotaped
assault
PETALING JAYA: The police have
denied that a videotaped assault of
a man by several uniformed men in
a room – as posted by several blogs
– took place in a police station.
In a statement yesterday,
national Criminal Investigation
Department (CID) director Datuk
Seri Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin said:
“There is no indication whatsoever
that the persons involved were
police personnel. Several people
in the video were in uniform but
they were clearly not the police
uniform.
“As such, it is highly speculative
to infer that the clip shows a sus-
pect being beaten while in police
custody.”
Mohd Bakri said the police are
taking concrete steps to ensure
the abuse of detainees does not
occur and one of the major steps
is the remodelling of the interro-
gation rooms and installing video
cameras to record the process of
interrogations to also help protect
officers from false claims of abuse
or coercion.
International Quran
recital from tomorrow
KUALA LUMPUR: The 51st Interna-
tional-Level Quran Reciters’ Assembly
will be held at Dewan Merdeka, Putra
World Trade Centre (PWTC) from to-
morrow to Aug 12.
The public relations officer of the
Malaysian Islamic Development Depart-
ment (Jakim), Asiah Alkharib Shah, said
yesterday 69 male and female reciters
from 43 countries had confirmed their
participation, including from Saudi
Arabia, Afghanistan, China, Croatia and
India. – Bernama