LAXENBURG (Vienna): People are no longer afraid to expose and report corrupt practices as they know they are protected and will not suffer repercussions.
As a result, corruption cases appeared to be on the increase as more reports were made, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday.
The prime minister was delivering a lecture entitled Fighting Corruption in Malaysia: Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives at the Ceremonial Hall of the International Anti Corruption Academy (IACA) yesterday.
“Now whistleblowers reporting anything to the government will be safe. He is allowed to make a public statement, accusing anybody of being corrupt. Of course, it must be based on facts. Now, if they report there will be no fear that anyone will take action against them as whistleblowers.
"Thus the number seems to have gone up, but these are corruption committed during the previous regime, not the present regime.
"We expect that with the measures that we have taken, we will be able to reduce corruption in the country,” he said, adding that it might be impossible to eradicate the evil practice totally.
The prime minister said he had classified two stages of corruption; one under the table and one above the table.
For as long as the people who committed bribery or corrupt practices did it under the table, it showed that they knew these were criminal acts and they could be punished.
However, he added what was alarming was when it has reached the second stage and committed openly.
“When you have reached the second stage, it will be difficult to do anything, except when there is an election, then the people can reject the party that made corruption a general practice,” he said.
He stressed on the importance of inculcating moral values among the people especially when they were still young.
“So all in all, we feel that we have to take every measure not just use the law to prevent corruption, but instil in the minds of the people that corruption is a crime and should not be accepted by anyone and doing this while they were still young, when they were open to suggestion. Then, the rate of corruption will be reduced,” he added
“When we won the last general election, there was an emphasis by the new government to combat corrupt practices and among the measures taken are for all cabinet ministers, including the prime minister to declare their assets to the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC)."
The Prime Minister is in Vienna to attend the 10th General Conference and Annual Meeting of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) tomorrow where he will be delivering a keynote address entitled "15 years of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, Accomplishments and Prospects".