By Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
IPOH — Integrity and transparency must become the absolute standard in governance as they form the foundation for maintaining the trust of both the people and investors, said Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
He said that in today’s world, trust is no longer given automatically but is instead judged through systems, behaviour and the daily actions of an administration.
“Integrity is no longer a peripheral issue, but the true measure of leadership credibility,” he said.
He was speaking while officiating the Perak Sejahtera 2026 Integrity and Anti-Corruption Convention and launching the state-level Keep Malaysia Clean (KMC) programme at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building here today.
Saarani stressed that state development cannot rely solely on economic figures or physical projects, as integrity is the true soul of meaningful progress.
“Investors will only come when they are confident our system is fair and transparent. The people will only have trust when aid reaches those who truly deserve it,” he said.
He added that the state government has made integrity and good governance core pillars of the Perak Sejahtera 2030 Plan and will continue to strengthen cooperation with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), including accelerating the digitalisation of services and improving transparency in procurement processes.
At the same time, Saarani said the Darul Ridzuan Integrity Champion (DRIC) programme would be continued to ensure a culture of integrity is truly practised among civil servants.
Touching on KMC, he said cleanliness reflects discipline and a sense of responsibility towards shared spaces.
“The way we take care of our environment reflects how we uphold greater responsibilities,” he said.
He expressed hope that the convention and implementation of KMC would serve as a turning point in strengthening public trust through consistent and effective action.
