LETTERS: The expose by the New Straits Times of a cartel involved in faking halal certification of frozen meat products, that also came from diseased cattle, has shaken our nation.

Then we read about Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who fell off his bicycle after it hit a pothole, on Sunday.

And we are supposed to have achieved developed nation status by now, as envisaged by Vision 2020, but the timetable has been postponed to 2030, under the Shared Prosperity Vision.

Let's ensure that these "mistakes" don't happen again. 

We should recruit frontliners in ministries to make observations for action to taken.

Use this to address youth and graduate unemployment and underemployment.

In view of the many potholes in the country, the Works Ministry, particularly the Public Works Department, should be beefed up to check on streets, roads and highways, bridges and report back its observations and findings.

In Singapore, National Environment Agency officers go undercover to enforce laws on littering and prohibition of smoking.

As for the meat cartel scandal, one way to tackle weaknesses in the supply chain management system is to have the private sector roped in to act as a check and balance to enforcement agencies.

Audit firms should be enlisted to promote integrity in government agencies and processes.

Instead of spending taxpayers' money on consultants for wasteful branding campaigns and projects, the focus should be on audit trails, forensic and systems analyses that will improve procedures.

Also, there should be greater collaboration with information technology and cybersecurity firms.

As highlighted in another EMIR Research article, blockchain technology is critical to promote efficient monitoring of the supply chain.

Hopefully, the government will come down hard on errant officials and send out the message that corruption and inefficiency will not be tolerated.

Let 2021 be a new beginning for our administrative system and institutions.

Jason Loh

EMIR Research, Kuala Lumpur

https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2021/01/653807/weed-out-graft-inefficiency-2021