KUALA LUMPUR: The Works Ministry is the first and only ministry to score five stars under the Star Rating System conducted by the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu).

Secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Munit Kasmin said Mampu had given the ministry a score of 92.18% out of possible 100% during last year's evaluation.

This placed the Works Ministry above the Housing and Local Government Ministry and the Education Ministry, which came second and third with scores of 89.62% and 89.08% respectively.

Five stars are given for ministries that score above 90%. Four stars are given to those who score between 80% and 89.9%.

Dr Abdul Munit said the five-star recognition was due to the combined efforts of all the staff at the ministry.

"Once people knew exactly what their functions were, then they were able to give better service to the people,? he told the ministry?s staff during a ceremony to mark the achievement yesterday.

Mampu's Star Rating System was introduced in 2007 and the Works Ministry was second placed then, behind the Education Ministry, with a score of 85.47%. Ministries were evaluated based on management skill, services and customer management.

Dr Abdul Munit said the ministry's primary role was to take care of the 16,800km of federal roads in the country, and said staff had to be aggressive in placing their stake on that responsibility.

"If you are not brave, then one day that business will be given to someone else and that would be the end of the ministry."

He added that a 'Love Your Roads' programme would be launched this year to ensure that the right attention was given to federal roads.

Aside from this, Dr Abdul Munit said staff who took pictures of roads that were in bad condition would be given RM5 per picture.