“Whole-Of-Government” Approach: A Case Study of Malaysia’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The study examined the Malaysian public sector’s response in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilising a case study approach, the research observed that the “Whole-of-Government” was prevalent in the government’s attempt to manage the pandemic. However, there was necessity to expand beyond “Whole-of-Government” to include the “Whole-of-Society” by incorporating the public sector, private sector, people, and patients (4Ps). With four fundamental forces underlying the “Whole-of-Government, Whole-of-Society” approach, namely the 4Cs (communication, coordination, cohesion, and coherence), the study also identified the enablers, gaps and outcomes, which allowed for policy recommendations to be proposed to the public sector for improvement in managing future crisis.