He said the report by The Malaysian Insight yesterday was untrue and that it was just some people’s perception.

“I haven’t heard anything official (on the replacement of secretaries-general). These are people’s perception,” he told reporters after opening the 28th Cuepacs triennial convention here today.

The report had said that five secretaries-general were expected to be replaced by the end of the year to further strengthen the ministries’ operations.

Earlier, in his speech, Ismail reminded civil servants to remain loyal to the government no matter who was in power.

“We as civil servants have pledged that we will obey the government in building a strong and successful nation for the future.

“Integrity must be maintained. We must not question the government’s decision. As the implementers, we carry out our tasks with integrity to enable the people to enjoy the best services possible,” he said.