KUALA LUMPUR: THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has planted “spies” in several government agencies and government-linked companies to end corrupt practices.
A source said these officers had been trained to integrate themselves into the agencies they were assigned to.
“They assimilate themselves so well no one will suspect anything, even when a MACC swoop is carried out.
“The presence of these officers sends a clear warning to public officers, especially those dealing with funds and in decision-making roles. They should think twice before engaging in corrupt practices,” the source said.
Separately, MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki said it would be ideal if he had more men to send out to check for corruption and abuse of power, especially at agencies that dealt with taxpayer funds.
The New Straits Times was made to understand that the commission had fixed its eyes and would soon swoop in on several sectors in government agencies and government-linked companies for malpractice.
The commission has more than 50 officers serving as chief integrity officers (CIO) in several “hot” departments.
While their primary roles include improving the departments’ integrity, Azam would not commit when asked if his men had played a role in raids involving agencies in recent months, including the Road Transport and Immigration departments as well as Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
MACC personnel are also CIOs in the Health and Home ministries as well as Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and Johor Corporation.
“It is our ambition to have MACC officers in every government department, not just the ‘hot’ ones.
“But for now, we cannot afford to do so as we do not have that many officers to spare,” he told the NST.
The commission, Azam said, was focused on a clean-up of civil service sectors that dealt with public funds.
MACC, he added, was also looking to plug loopholes in the public delivery system that could open the room for corrupt practices and abuse of power.
Chief among its plan, said Azam, was the enactment of a law to deal with misconduct in public office.
This, he said, would give
the commission more bite in combating corruption in the civil service.
He said cases of officers dealing with procurement and their links to jacked-up prices of purchases had not gone unnoticed, although in some cases they feigned ignorance and claimed that “it was just an honest mistake”.
“We would like to propose that the government formulate a law so that we can act against those responsible for losses in government procurement.
“There have been instances in the past where we had strong grounds to believe there were elements of corruption in procurement.
“But we could not get enough evidence to charge the perpetrators, causing the government millions in losses,” he said, adding that the public could play a role in graft-busting.
He said while the commission carried out aggressive investigations, it welcomed public tip-offs.
“I assure you, give valid information for us to conduct investigations and I will mobilise my men.
“The Sabah case is an example. It began with tip-offs by the public. We then proceeded with our intelligence gathering.”
He said MACC chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad had made it clear in his first week as chief that the days of corrupt personnel were numbered and that they should end their wayward ways immediately.
“The warning was clear and our Sabah bust proves our seriousness in combating corruption, especially among civil servants.”