Friday 31/07/2026

^{Tan Sri Ambrin Buang signs the mock book, officially marking the launch of PLF’s publication “A Conversation with Tan Sri Ambrin Buang: Reflections on Public Service, Leadership, and Governance.”}


PUTRAJAYA, July 31 (Bernama) -- What makes good public governance, and how can integrity and accountability be strengthened in public institutions? These were among the key issues explored during the Dialogue on Public Governance at the official launch of Perdana Leadership Foundation's latest publication, “A Conversation with Tan Sri Ambrin Buang: Reflections on Public Service, Leadership, and Governance” held at the Foundation in Putrajaya.
  
The dialogue entitled "Public Governance: Lessons in Leadership, Integrity, and Public Accountability", with Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, former Auditor-General of Malaysia, and Dato’ Sri Dr Akhbar Satar, President, Malaysia Integrity and Governance Society (MIG) was moderated by Mr Pushpan Murugiah, Regional Specialist – Anti-Corruption, Governance, & Public Accountability.

Drawing on their extensive experience in public governance and institutional reform, the panellists discussed the challenges in enforcing accountability and transparency in public institutions, and the need to do so to instill public trust in government.

During the dialogue, Tan Sri Ambrin elaborated on his role in auditing public institutions and corporations. He emphasised that strong systems are essential in ensuring good governance. 

“A strong governance system ensures accountability, transparency, and integrity. However, when public servants fail to follow or adhere to these principles, problems inevitably arise. Those problems include fraud, corruption, and financial leakages. These are not minor issues—they cause significant damage to the country, waste public resources, and undermine people's trust in government.”

Tan Sri Ambrin also described corruption as a deeply entrenched challenge that can undermine national development if left unchecked. He agreed that corruption could become a “cancer” that can easily spread within institutions. He further highlighted that a lack of accountability and the belief that wrongdoing will go unpunished can contribute to unethical behaviour and corrupt practices.

Dato’ Sri Dr Akhbar Satar, said that no one root cause had been identified in studies on corruption; however, he pointed out that one of the main reasons corruption continues to occur is the weakness of enforcement and oversight mechanisms. He remarked that in public institutions, political interference and undue pressure from higher-ups in decision-making often undermine transparency and good governance. According to Dato’ Sri Dr Akhbar, asset declaration can be an important mechanism for promoting transparency and accountability among public officials, but the caveat is that the assets need to be properly valued with the burden of proof on the officials themselves.

Both Tan Sri Ambrin and Dato’ Sri Akbar emphasised the importance of leaders in setting a good example. Tan Sri Ambrin also referred to “Bersih, Cekap, and Amanah” (Corruption-free, Competent, and Trustworthy) - the values espoused by fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad - as his guiding principles in public service. 

Summing up the discussion, moderator Mr Pushpan Murugiah noted that good governance ultimately depends on both strong institutions and ethical leadership. He emphasised that transparency and accountability should not be viewed merely as compliance requirements, but as essential foundations for building public trust and ensuring that institutions remain resilient in the face of changing political, economic, and social challenges.
 
The dialogue concluded with an engaging question-and-answer session, where participants raised questions on governance reforms, public sector accountability, anti-corruption measures, and the role of future leaders in strengthening Malaysia's governance landscape. The event attracted participants from academia, civil society organisations, public and private sectors.

Following the dialogue, Perdana Leadership Foundation officially launched “A Conversation with Tan Sri Ambrin Buang: Reflections on Public Service, Leadership, and Governance”.

In his Welcome Remarks, Mr Mahmood Razak Bahman, Alternate Trustee, Perdana Leadership Foundation & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PUSPAKOM Sdn Bhd said:

"The book chronicles his distinguished career in the Malaysian Civil Service, from his early years to his tenure as Auditor-General of Malaysia. It also captures his reflections on public governance, institutional integrity, and accountability, including his challenges in auditing high-profile cases (namely the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)), so the book should make for an interesting read!"

The latest addition to Part of Perdana Leadership Foundation's ongoing Oral History Series, the publication presents PLF’s conversations with Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, former Auditor-General of Malaysia, and is available for purchase at the Foundation. For more information, visit www.perdana.org.my.

Click here to view the event photos.

About the Organiser and Publisher

About Perdana Leadership Foundation
www.perdana.org.my

Perdana Leadership Foundation is a non-profit organisation established in January 2003 to document, disseminate, research, and archive materials related to the past Prime Ministers of Malaysia. The Foundation intends to become the premier institution for the study of Malaysia’s Prime Ministers and the central resource centre for research into national stewardship as well as a platform for reflection, debate, and discussion with distinguished figures in Malaysian leadership. Our Honorary President is the fourth and seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad. To date, we have digitised more than 500k materials, half of which are available for free through our website www.perdana.org.my. Membership for our library is offered at an annual fee of RM10 and Library membership is open to Malaysians over the age of 13; members also get to enjoy the library’s physical facilities located in a cosy enclave in Precinct 8, Putrajaya.       

Source: Perdana Leadership Foundation

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
Name: Nurul Humaira Kamarulzaman
Designation: Executive, Events and Publications
Tel: 03 - 8885 8960
Email: humaira@perdana.org.my,  nhkperdana@gmail.com
    
Name: Muizzuddin Munir
Designation: Coordinator, Communications and Publications
Tel: 03 - 8885 8979
Email: muizzuddin@perdana.org.my, muizmunir2@gmail.com

--BERNAMA