Kuala lumpur:<Text>

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today directed all ministries and government departments to expedite the shift to online processes as part of ongoing bureaucratic reforms. Speaking at the Prime Minister's Department Monthly Assembly and 2026 New Year Address, Anwar emphasized the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving the efficiency of official correspondence, suggesting that AI could be used to draft responses which would then be refined by officers.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar stated that the digitalisation initiative is also applicable to the Cabinet, aiming to save time, enhance service quality, and reduce the administrative red tape that burdens the public. He underscored the necessity for national digital systems to be implemented earnestly and consistently, cautioning against allowing them to remain mere rhetoric without substantial performance improvements.

The Prime Minister urged all ministry s ecretaries-general and director-generals to ensure that all processes are conducted online unless bound by legal requirements. The assembly was attended by key Cabinet members, including Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, and Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.

In addition, Anwar highlighted the importance of aligning public service delivery quality with the improved Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA), emphasizing that the public deserves faster and more efficient services. He noted that the government has already committed an additional RM18 billion to enhance the SSPA, which justifies public expectations for service improvements.

Anwar identified several issues needing immediate attention, such as lengthy waiting times at government departments, delayed responses, excessive paperwork, and the inconvenience of visiti ng multiple departments to resolve a single issue. 'The people ask questions, and they have every right to do so. They expect that the quality of service must be more efficient and faster,' he stated, calling for the elimination of these bureaucratic hurdles.