Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, announcing the proposed law, said it would be aimed at reducing bureaucracy, speeding up government processes, and improving service efficiency.

He said there had been “a positive change” in government services, however, there was still a need to improve the means by which the people deal with the government.

“There have been cases of the rakyat taking leave to settle applications. There have also been cases of some lining up for hours to get a queue number, and some being forced to return another day,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in his budget speech.

A centralised channel will be established at Urban Transformation Centres to assist those who apply for government aid.

He said counter services would be further enhanced by consolidating various government service kiosks in high-traffic areas like shopping malls, “allowing people to access services outside of regular office hours”.

Other initiatives include allocating RM25 million to the Special Agency Reform Task Force, specifically to slash red tape in government agencies.

He announced that guidelines had been developed to ensure that federal statutory bodies meet their intended goals and remain focused on their original purposes. A new unit had been set up to look into the 544 statutory bodies and assess their direction, financial capabilities and any overlapping roles.

Anwar said his government was committed to reforming the civil service by upholding good governance and boosting productivity.

In a statement later, the civil service union federation Cuepacs urged all government workers to display full commitment to improving the delivery of their services. Cuepacs president Adnan Mat said improved cooperation and coordination among government departments was crucial to improve the quality of the civil service.