Kuantan: The Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM) has been recognised for excellence under the Integrity and Governance Management System (SPINE), achieving a top rating of 92.37 per cent. Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar stated that this score signifies a high level of integrity, as marks above 85 per cent are classified as excellent, scores below 85 per cent are moderate, and those under 60 per cent require immediate corrective measures. His comments came after he officiated the Forestry Integrity Colloquium at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Convention Centre.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, SPINE, introduced by the Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM), provides a structured framework to manage integrity risks, strengthen internal controls, and enhance compliance and transparency in decision-making. The system, developed using local expertise, enables organisations and government departments to independently assess their integrity health and has been piloted in 14 departments, including JPSM.

Shamsul Azri mentioned that the government is considering making SPINE mandatory for all departments and agencies to ensure integrity levels are systematically assessed and reinforced. He emphasized the necessity of understanding an organisation's current level of integrity to determine how deeply it is embedded within the organisation.

At the same event, Shamsul Azri launched JPSM's Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan (PROPER) 2026-2030, which aligns with the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) 2019-2023 and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024-2028. The plan aims to ensure corruption-free and sustainable tropical forest management through structured risk assessments focusing on corruption, integrity, and governance.