KUALA LUMPUR: It pays to keep a lookout for potholes on the road. Literally. 

Potholes have been known to cause injury and even death to motorists, so being aware of them saves a lot of problems, at the very least.

But if you are a staff member of the Works Ministry, it could mean much more.

Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Abdul Munit Kasmin yesterday offered a RM5 reward to any employee who snaps a picture of a pothole on federal roads.

But there are conditions: the picture must be submitted to Munit, along with a brief report, by the next day.

"This is our way of encouraging our 900-odd staff to be our 'eyes' on the road. Hopefully, their reports will help us better maintain roads within our jurisdiction."

He was speaking at a ceremony in conjunction with the accreditation of the Works Ministry as the first to achieve a "five-star" status for last year at its headquarters in Jalan Sultan Salahuddin yesterday.

He said given that there were 228 federal roads covering over 16,500km, the reports by its staff would hasten the repair and maintenance of roads.

Munit also called on ministry staff to live up to their five-star billing.

"Now that you have tasted the five-star status, you must continuously strive to play your part responsibly.

"Love your job just like you love your husband or wife. It's been said that a good wife can turn a shack into a palace."

The Works Ministry was accorded the five-star status following a "star rating system" survey carried out by the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit on ministries and government agencies since July last year.

The system, introduced in 2007, took into account the management, service delivery and customer service performance of each ministry and government agency. 

A minimum of 90 points is required to be given five-star status.

The Works Ministry scored 92.18 points, with nine other ministries securing four-star status for having scored between 80 and 89.9 points.