KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday complimented the police for their efforts and initiatives to help fight graft among policemen.
MACC Consultation and Prevention Panel (CPP) chairman Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar said the enforcement agency was on the right track in fighting corruption and regaining public confidence since its engagement in March when the “Reject Bribe” campaign was launched.
“MACC is satisfied with the continuous effort in fighting corruption. However, we suggest that police double their efforts through more initiatives, such as the Adopt-a-Department programme,” he said after a meeting with Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
In the meeting, Johan said the panel discussed and exchanged ideas on how to improve issues of misconduct and corruption.
“Among others was a suggestion for the force to revisit the proposal to set up an Independent Police Integrity Commission to strengthen police integrity and regain positive perception towards the force.”
Speaking on behalf of the panel, Johan said the Integrity and Standards Compliance Department, set up in July to monitor personnel misconduct, should be further widened to become a full-fledged Internal Affairs Division (IAD).
Present at the meeting was MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed and acting Deputy IGP Datuk Seri Mohamad Fuzi Harun.
Meanwhile, Federal Integrity and Standards Compliance Department director Datuk Zubaidah Md Ismail warned the public not to initiate or give bribes.
She said since the launch of the “Reject Bribe” campaign, the department was coming down hard on both bribe-givers and takers.
She said emphasis would be on the givers, as they wanted to deter the public from offering bribes.
Zubaidah said since April, there had been 17 cases involving 50 policemen and 22 bribe-givers.
“A total of 273 members of the force, including officers, have been investigated for various offences related to corruption since 2012 till September this year.”
She added that so far, 43 had been charged while 168 were still under investigation.
“In 2012, 25 personnel were charged and that number dropped to 18 last year, and only four this year (until last month),” she said.