What would DOGE find inside the Malaysian government?

Murray Hunter


What would DOGE find inside the Malaysian government?


Feb 11, 2025





With the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) operating within the Eisenhower Building, just across from the White House. The world is being shocked by some of the excesses of government.

The original objective of DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk was to find savings of one trillion Dollars, off the government budget. Many within the Trump administration hope that DOGE will greatly exceed this figure and help weed out mass corruption, reducing US public debt.

Parts of the US media say the department is made up of only a dozen or so highly bright nerds, brought in by Elon Musk, who are working day and night uncovering government corruption. One young individual with a screen name “Big Balls” exposed the massive fraud going on within USAID. There were calls to dismiss 19-year old Edward Coristine, known as Big Balls from the team.

A Big Balls meme made by Alex Jones crew has reached more than 21 million views in 3 days.

DOGE has proven itself to be a very effective tool to weed out corruption and reduce government debt. Other countries are considering making such a move in their own countries.

The question is would Malaysia benefit from such a program? If so, what would the Malaysian members of DOGE find when they began examining government in Malaysia?

Civil Service

If DOGE employees walked into almost any government office, within 1.7 million person civil service after 8.00AM, they would find no one there. Many government employees would be out eating their breakfast.

The loss of productivity from people not on the job is staggering. People having breakfast, going out for coffee, picking up their kids, and doing errands, all during government working hours.

DOGE employees might happen to visit an office where there was a major announcement and launch. Hundred of millions of Ringgit are spent on such launches that preach to captive audiences of government employees. Most of it is just unnecessary ‘Syok Sendiri” wastage.

When DOGE employees start looking at government suppliers, things get interesting. Nerds like Elon Musk employs might find that many suppliers that provide goods and services, or consultancy to government are owned by proxies for employees or family members. Or, those government officers who select suppliers find payments in their accounts, or gifts that equate to a percentage of the contracts they give out to firms.

The MACC sometimes catch the small ‘ikan bilis’, to keep their figures high, but the DOGE teams might be able to catch big time operators.

Budget

The biggest scams come through the budgets. This is where the art of kleptocracy is at its best. Cronyism is a fine art in Malaysia. It takes years of planning and procedure to place crony projects through the budgetary system, so spending on such projects become a necessity. Plans will go to the Economic Planning Unit, which will need to be convinced a project is deserving of funding. Just proving projects are worthy is a scam in itself, where grants are given to ‘consultants’ of millions of Ringgit to prove the project is worthy of support. Once the documentation is ready, the project goes to budget, where money is allocated, and the contractor in mind, wins the tender and gets the money. Most of these projects after buildings have been built and the money spent become ‘white elephants’.

This is how the elite kleptocrats get richer in Malaysia, while the taxpayers get poorer. There is a massive redistribution of national wealth going on here. Basically, the modus operandi of budgets is that the government borrows money so the rich get richer and the people pay for the debt created through taxes and inflation. It all looks good because GDP goes up, covered by debt on the other side of the ledger.

Every year government debt repayments just keep on getting larger.

It doesn’t take a DOGE expert to see these types of projects.

The GLCs

At last DOGE gets to the government linked companies (GLCs). There are so many of them and only a handful are profitable, if even solvent. Every GLC has its own story, and corruption won’t be too far away.

Perhaps DOGE just closes those which are making losses immediately. Then they can go and investigate the outrageous salaries, allowances, benefits, and luxurious overseas trips senior managers and directors receive.

If DOGE points a ‘meritocracy’ meter at GLC boards, they might think that their equipment is damaged, because the needle wont move. All these fat cats are blessed by public monies, paid for by the people.

Religious bureaucracy

The religious bureaucracy is a great place to waste money with all sorts of ‘divinity led’ KPIs. Divinity, piousness, and devotion costs money in Malaysia. There must be billions for DOGE to find here.

Bumiputera handouts

Bumiputera handouts to Malaysian are what USAID was to the United States. Most of it a scam to enrichen the elites, who are already rich. House discounts to the rich, education scholarships to children of the elite, grants to elite businesses, and through in the occasional monopoly, uncompetitive contract, and concession. DOGE will have a field day. All these benefits are given out to the rich, while those in need cannot benefit from them.

DOGE was formed by a real disruptor. Someone who wants to change the United States for the betterments of the people. One day Malaysia, may be lucky enough to have such a person. Malaysia would benefit from its own DOGE.