KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has called on all relevant parties to place integrity as the foundation for making the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) a success.
He said integrity is crucial towards ensuring that the country's prosperity can be distributed more fairly and equitably as well as maintaining environmental sustainability.
"The 12MP, tabled in Parliament on Sept 27, was enacted when the country was facing the worst health and economic crisis (due to Covid-19 pandemic).
"Yet, it still took into account various aspects in the interest of the 'Malaysian Family', to enable us to enjoy a better standard of living, subsequently become a high-income country with a better quality of life and a high-tech country in 2025.
"However, all the goals and plans outlined in the 12MP can only be achieved if all of us, the Malaysian Family, work together to achieve it by making the integrity agenda as the main thrust," he said in the closing ceremony of the 2021 National Integrity Convention, held in conjunction with National Integrity Day, yesterday.
The prime minister's speech was read out by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
Ismail Sabri said without integrity, those entrusted with implementing certain programmes or projects under the 12MP would not be doing their jobs right.
"They will act carelessly, have personal interests, abuse of power, malpractice, and corruption. As a result, there will be leakages that ultimately cause loss to us, the Malaysian Family.
"Without integrity, we don't do things right. Without integrity, we will not be honest.
"Therefore, I call on all relevant parties to work together to make this 12MP a success by placing integrity as the foundation and avoiding any conflict of personal interest for the sake of the Malaysian Family."
Meanwhile, the prime minister said the theme "Integriti Pemangkin Keluarga Malaysia (Integrity the Catalyst for Malaysian Family)" for this year's National Integrity Day was in line with the Malaysian Family concept.
"It emphasises the basic aspects of national integrity and the application of noble values towards strengthening the integrity of the entire Malaysian Family.
"The spirit of Malaysian Family integrity is crucial in forming a society that values the spirit of inclusiveness, togetherness, and gratitude of life in facing the challenges of the endemic phase of Covid-19.
"We all know that integrity refers not just to corruption alone. Integrity refers to the comprehensive and effective practice of virtuous values.
"Only a society that practices noble values can create a society that is free of corruption, and free from acts that violate ethics."