"Of the six NKRAs, focus should be on Combating Corruption though we may not always have witnesses or figures but still believe corruption commonly takes place even with many civil services specially in Sabah"(Source:@TheSunDaily - thesun news)
Big wins' in GTP report
By Pauline Wong
PETALING JAYA (March 27, 2011): The Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Annual Report 2010 released this evening showed that the programme, launched in January last year to radically transform the way in which the government works, has been a resounding success.
Each of the six national key result areas (NKRA) showed an overall positive outcome, with significant "big wins" including the biggest drop in crime statistics since independence and the introduction of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 to combat corruption.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak expressed satisfaction at the outcomes.
"It registered many "firsts" that have directly or indirectly enhanced the lives of millions," he said in the foreword to a 250-page report issued by the Prime Minister's Department.
The six NKRAs are Crime Reduction, Combating Corruption, Improving Student Outcomes, Raising the Living Standards of Low Income Households, Rural Basic Infrastructure Improvement and Improving Urban Public Transportation.
> The NKRA for Crime Reduction scored two major achievements: street crime and index crime (serious and regularly occurring crimes affecting the national crime index) went down by 35% and 15% respectively.
Also, police recorded 6,842 arrests and confiscations for snatch theft, vehicle theft and house break-ins. Close to 500 closed-circuit televisions, 2,594 light posts and 343 safety mirrors have been installed under the Safe City programme under this NKRA.
To increase police presence, 14,222 police officers were redeployed in crime hotspot areas. These initiatives resulted in a 55.8% satisfaction with police services compared to 35.8% in 2009, according to a survey by UK-based survey house Taylor Nelson Sofres.
> The Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 was one of the landmark achievements of the NKRA for Combating Corruption.
The act aims to encourage whistleblowers to come forward with reports of improper conduct by granting them protection of identity, immunity from criminal or civil liability as well as protection against any action taken against them.
Other key initiatives include stiffer minimum sentences, the speedy prosecution of corruption cases, and a "name and shame" database of 284 (and growing) convicted offenders. Compliance units to prevent corrupt practices in the police force, Immigration Department, Royal Malaysian Customs, Road Transport Department and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission have also been set up.
These initiatives contributed to 48% of Malaysians agreeing that the government's efforts to fight corruption is effective in the Transparency International (TI) Global Corruption Barometer 2010. However, the report showed that Malaysia's TI Corruption Perception Index Score remains low at 4.4, falling short of the 4.9 target set (a score of 10 indicates least corrupt).
> In improving student outcomes, key initiatives to reward high performing schools, teachers and headmasters resulted in a more than 90% achievement of targets set.
The pre-school enrolment rate exceeded expectations at 72.42%, with 1,500 pre-school classes rolled out (including nine in remote areas of Sabah and Sarawak), enabling more than 700,000 children aged four and five to get a headstart.
An 85% literacy rate and 91% numeracy rate was also scored after the Literacy and Numeracy Screening test for Year One pupils last September. More than 100 out of 290 primary schools reported as much as a 40% improvement in the school average grade, and 20 high-performing schools have been identified.
> In the NKRA for raising living standards of low-income households, one major achievement reported was the complete removal of all 44,535 families in the hardcore poor category.
Through the Akhiri Zaman Miskin (end poverty), or 1Azam, programmes, poor households are given aid in finding employment, starting small home businesses or embarking on agriculture projects to earn a living.
In addition, other initiatives in collaboration with the Health Ministry have contributed to achieving the targets in this NKRA.
Four 1Malaysia mobile clinics provide medical treatment to poor households in rural areas, and 50 1Malaysia clinics have provided basic medical care for the low income group.
> With 35% of Malaysians living in rural areas, improving rural basic infrastructure is paramount to ensure every layer of society has equal access to modern facilities and wealth, stated the report.
To this end, a total of 783.1km of rural roads have been built or upgraded, 36,273 and 27,266 households connected to treated water and electricity supply, and 16,962 houses for the rural poor have been built or restored.
> Improving urban public transportation however, was the only one of the six NKRA that showed slow progress, with many of its initiatives and projects delayed due to various reasons.
Delays in the mobilisation of the Land Public Transport Commission as a body to effectively regulate and monitor bus and rail operators caused difficulties in project delivery and smooth integration of the public transport system.
Other hiccups included an inability to come to an agreement with private bus operators in the distribution of bus routes; internal structure and bureaucracy issues with government agencies responsible for urban transport which resulted in a lack of coordination; and the lack of capable local contractors to refurbish the KTM Komuter trains.
However, there were some successes, namely the RM570 million integrated transport terminal (ITT) in Bandar Tasik Selatan, which now diverts some 500 southbound express buses from congested city centres on a daily basis.
Also this year, the ITT Gombak is expected to be built and 270 more buses will be introduced into existing routes by September.
Rail passengers can look forward to 13 four-coach trains for the Kelana Jaya LRT line which will be delivered mid year. They will help increase passenger loads and improve the efficiency of the rail system.
