Najib: I want to make corruption part of Malaysia's past

SAN FRANCISCO: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak says he wants to make corruption part of Malaysia's past, not its future.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Club Lecture here on Monday, Najib said this meant changing organisational as well as business cultures.

"I have created a new governance and integrity minister role in the cabinet; it is held by the former president of the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International," he said.

Najib said his government had elevated Malaysia's anti-corruption agency - which answers annually to a parliamentary special committee on corruption, an independent advisory board, and a complaints committee - to self-regulated, independent commission status.

"It is our hope that the commission serve as an example for other countries looking to build the institutional capacity to combat corruption," he said.

After all, said the prime minister, for governance and commerce alike, the most vital currency was trust.
"If we deliver what we have promised to the people - in this instance, a concerted fight against corruption - and deliver consistently over time, that currency will appreciate.

MACC gets UN recognition

KUALA LUMPUR: THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has received international recognition from the United Nations as an independent, transparent and professional anti-graft body.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime's acknowledgement follows the success of the self-regulatory mechanisms employed by the commission as well as its own commitment to setting a higher bar despite learning from best practices internationally.

The commission, which had elevated itself to an independent commission status, answers annually to a parliamentary special committee on corruption and independent advisory board, a complaints committee and two other consultative panels.

"It is our hope that it will not only continue to strengthen its own capabilities, but also that it may serve as an example for other countries looking to build the institutional capacity to combat corruption," he said at the closing ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Voluntary Codes of Business Ethics in Medical Device, Biopharmaceutical and Construction Sectors yesterday.

Malaysia improves in Corruption Perception Index Ranking

THE National Key Result Areas' (NKRA) anti-graft initiatives have made an impact, with Malaysia improving its standing in the 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) when it shot six spots up to 54th position from last year's 60.

It was a marked improvement from 2011 when the country fell four places down from 2010's 56th position.

In releasing the index figures yesterday, Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) revealed that out of the 176 countries involved in the CPI survey last year, Malaysia also ranked third among Asean countries, ahead of Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia.

The three countries ranked 88th, 105th and 118th respectively.

Singapore, which was placed third in the world, was the top anti-graft performer in Asean, followed by Brunei at 46.

Malaysia scored 49 out of 100, with 0 being the most corrupt and 100 corruption-free.

The country's anti-corruption initiative also received another boost with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) revealing yesterday that it had achieved an 80 per cent prosecution rate between January and November this year, a jump from last year's 75 per cent.

At the media conference to release the CPI figures, TI-M president Datuk Paul Low praised the government's commitment in combating graft, saying that Malaysia was the only country in the world brave enough to include the CPI as part of its Key Performance Index.

"The improvement is good, it was expected. We believe it was because of the ETP (Economic Transformation Programme), GTP (Government Transformation Programme) and NKRA (National Key Results Areas).

"The efforts of Pemandu (Performance Management & Delivery Unit) and MACC have borne fruit... of course there have been issues, but it has been fruitful.

"Acknowledgement has to be given to the government which has undertaken various initiatives to combat graft. We hope it will grow in the years to come," he said.

NKRA anti-corruption director Ravindran Devagunam said the establishment of 14 special Sessions Courts in February last year had expedited prosecution cases.

TI-M,  Low said, called on the authorities to take bold measures to combat corruption in the country.

"Law enforcement institutions such as the MACC and police, as well as the judiciary, should be strengthened to gain public trust," he said at the press conference also attended by TI-M’s former president Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam.

Low also felt that Malaysia should introduce a Freedom of Information Act as practised in Sweden and Norway. They were placed second and fifth in the world in the 2012 index.

However, in March, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim told Parliament that the ministry had no intention of introducing the law as Malaysia already practised its tenets.

TI-M also urged authorities to tackle systemic corruption by focusing on specific sectors.

Under the NKRA programme, combating corruption is among the seven key areas of priority for the government. It was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2010.

(Source: Malaysian Digest)