PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The day-to-day administration of Malaysia's civil service will not be disrupted by the resignation of the prime minister, said Chief Secretary to the Government Mohammad Zuki Ali.

The country's top civil servant said cooperation between government agencies is solid, ensuring that existing programmes and initiatives can be implemented successfully.

"I assure you that the civil service has always given its full commitment in ensuring that the government's delivery system is not compromised.

"The day-to-day administration will continue to be led by the secretaries-general of the ministries and department heads as usual.

"Security personnel, including the police and the armed forces, remain on standby to ensure peace and public order," he said in a statement on Monday (Aug 16) after Mr Muhyiddin Yassin announced his resignation in a televised address on the same day.

Mr Muhyiddin will continue to perform the prime minister's duties in a caretaker capacity until his successor and Cabinet is appointed, while the country's struggles to fend off Covid-19 mean elections are unlikely to be held in the near future.

Mr Zuki said government initiatives involving large allocations, particularly the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, have not been affected by the political situation.

"The civil service is committed to upholding the concept of neutrality and 'government of the day' based on the rule of law.

"The government machinery strives to ensure all policies are implemented so that the people will get the best possible service delivery, especially during this challenging period," he said.

Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police echoed his civil service counterpart on ensuring smooth transitions in light of the political developments, saying the nation's safety will also be well under control.

"Seeing the political situation in our country, the police give our assurance that safety and public order are under control," Mr Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said in a statement on Monday.

"The public should not speculate as we will ensure the country remains safe and increase surveillance to maintain public harmony.".

The IGP added that action would be taken against those who disrupt the peace.

"The people should continue to follow the SOP (Covid-19 safety measures) set by the National Security Council while going about their daily lives, so that together we can break the chain of Covid-19 infection," he said.