Kuala lumpur: Being 'shuffled' from one department to another, needing approvals from multiple parties, and facing a host of other tedious requirements-often labelled as bureaucratic red tape-have long burdened Malaysia's public administration. Generally, these issues hinder the smooth implementation of policies and initiatives, which in turn affect the government's efforts to deliver the best services to the people, including in matters related to economic and social development.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, recognising the need for a systematic solution-especially as the public grows more discerning and demands greater transparency, efficiency, and swift action-the MADANI government introduced the Bureaucratic Red Tape Reform (RKB) as part of its commitment to fulfilling the 15th General Election manifesto. Through a circular dated Nov 24, 2024, Malaysia's public sector enforced the RKB to address bureaucratic hurdles, including abolishing 'outdated' rules and work practices across all government agencies, with the aim of enhancing delivery-system efficiency and national productivity. RKB is also projected to generate cost savings of RM1.5 billion in 2025.

While experts agree that the RKB has the potential to drive comprehensive reforms in the public sector and modernise the country's administrative structure, they also acknowledge challenges in its implementation. Public administration expert Associate Professor Dr Khairunneezam Mohd Noor said that despite the circular issued a year ago, the old work culture persists in some government agencies, largely because civil servants remain 'comfortable' with practices that have long taken root. He added that complaints about slow and inefficient services remain, despite various government initiatives-including digitalisation and the whole-of-government approach-intended to streamline processes involving multiple agencies or ministries.

The Edelman Trust Barometer Malaysia 2023 found that trust in government agencies hovered around 62 per cent. Among the key sources of dissatisfaction are slow services, lack of customer-friendliness, and perceived lack of transparency due to bureaucratic red tape. Dr Khairunneezam noted that bureaucratic hurdles also have negative impacts when work processes are overly layered and require many approval stages before a decision can be finalised.

A similar view was shared by Dr Fairuzzaman Shaharuddin, Head of the Research Secretariat of Pertubuhan Naratif Malaysia, who described RKB as a realistic effort to overhaul an administrative structure long weighed down by unnecessary processes. He said the purpose of RKB is clear: to reduce red tape in the government system, ensuring that service delivery becomes more efficient and transparent. RKB implementation is expected to improve administrative efficiency by reducing documentation requirements, standardising procedures across departments, eliminating overlapping conditions, and expanding digital systems.

Meanwhile, senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara's Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies, Dr Mazlan Che Soh, said RKB is a government approach to ensure that newly drafted rules or laws are of high quality, transparent, effective, and do not burden the public. He said that RKB will become a catalyst and the best approach to ensure that citizens are no longer burdened by various bureaucratic hurdles. One visible example of RKB's success is the Home Ministry's effort to expedite passport renewal processes through kiosks and a digital appointment system.

Mazlan added that RKB is currently the most significant transformation affecting public agencies, bringing substantial benefits to the people. He said that although some weaknesses remain, the government is committed to making improvements. Efficiency in public services not only enhances public feedback but also strengthens government integrity through clearer, more organised procedures free from elements that may lead to abuse of power.

RKB was designed by the government to review existing regulations to ensure efficient administration, improved productivity, and reduced unnecessary regulatory burdens on the public and businesses. The programme aims to contribute to national productivity growth and improve bureaucratic indicators in the World Competitiveness Report, with a target to reach 12th position by 2030.