• 2025-10-10 05:12 PM

PETALING JAYA: The government has allocated RM25 million next year to strengthen the Special Task Force on Agency Reform (STAR) and accelerate its mission to enhance efficiency and digitalisation in the public service.

Announcing this during the tabling of Budget 2026 in Parliament today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the STAR team has proven that governance reforms can be implemented swiftly and effectively — without relying on external consultants.

He said through the task force’s reform agenda, more than 1,000 projects and programmes have been streamlined, resulting in compliance cost savings of up to RM1.1 billion.

“These reforms are among the key factors behind Malaysia’s 11-spot jump in the World Competitiveness Index,” Anwar said.

The Special Task Force on Agency Reform (STAR) was established last year to address bureaucratic hurdles frequently faced by the public and businesses.

It is tasked with driving swift and effective reforms across the public sector to ensure government agencies operate with greater efficiency, transparency, and accountability.