His comments followed sharply-worded remarks by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad against the formation of the National Integrity and Good Governance Department (JITN).
Dzulkifli had said the JITN would erode the autonomy of MACC and could be a waste of money. In a press conference earlier today, he asked who “this minister” was to “control us”, in an apparent reference to Low.
However, Low said: “There is nothing for the department or me to control since I am in the executive branch.
“Enforcement agencies such as the MACC will continue to do their work unimpeded.
“Our job is to help and strengthen them when needed.
“They (the agencies) can come to me if they need help or have proposals to improve themselves.
“It is wrong to say we will control them as they will continue to have independence,” Low said when contacted by FMT.
JITN received the cabinet’s nod on July 28 and is currently under review by the Public Service Department pending final approval.
The department was previously a division under Low in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Elaborating on the key role of the department, Low said JITN would be the “Pemandu” of good governance.
Pemandu is the Performance Management and Delivery Unit, which is highly successful in driving government goals to fruition.
“JITN will transform the civil service in the area of administration, governance and integrity.
“It will also ensure that all comply with human rights practices. We had been doing that all along when JITN was a division.
“But by having a department, we institutionalise it and keep a permanent structure of good governance embedded in all agencies. That is why the cabinet has approved JITN,” Low said.
He had earlier said JITN would serve as a coordinating body to lead changes in the public and private sectors.
He added that the department would focus on good governance, integrity and human rights.