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PUTRAJAYA: The practice of giving gifts, organising parties and sponsoring public service programmes, traditionally seen as gestures of respect and appreciation poses a risk of fostering a culture of bribery if left unchecked.

According to Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) chairman, Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar paying tribute, an age old practice where subordinates make contributions of money, gold, or gifts to higher-ranking officials as a sign of respect remains prevalent today.

In modern public services, similar practices continue, such as hosting extravagant dinners to welcome “guests” visiting field projects.

Ismail emphasised that the culture of welcoming department heads or superiors with lavish banquets, gift-giving, or other celebratory events should be made transparent, reduced, or preferably, stopped altogether.

He revealed that complaints have arisen about staff being required to prepare elaborate provisions to welcome ‘guests’ in the field, including hosting dinners and organising golf outings. 

“If there is no allocation, you have to seek sponsorship. At times when this is difficult, you might have to resort to informal activities to contribute because the ‘boss’ is coming over and you need to prepare dinner and a gift accordingly,” he told Bernama in an interview recently.

Ismail said while field trips themselves are beneficial, overly celebrating department heads at the expense of other officers is unnecessary and counterproductive. 

“The field trip is valuable, but excessive celebrations for the head of the department, especially when funded by staff with low salaries, leads to a problematic culture,” he said.

He also expressed concern about the burden on staff to prepare donations for farewell parties or weddings involving superiors, which often results in staff seeking donations from external sources with dealings with the departments.