KUALA LUMPUR: The number of corporate organisations sending their employees for training to become certified integrity officers has seen a sharp increase as the deadline for the implementation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) corporate liability provision looms.
MACC Chief Commissioner Latheefa Koya said the corporate liability provision under Section 17A of the MACC Act was passed last year.
She said companies had been given a two-year grace period to ensure that their organisations had adequate anti-corruption systems.
The new provision, she said, would be enforced in June next year.
“The law is well defined, so people need to know that there is a clause in the section that says this is a defence for that company or entity if it has an anti-corruption system in place.
“That’s the challenge for them, to ensure that the company has adequate measures.
“Integrity officers can provide guidance and advice on how to establish an anti-corruption plan, hence the request for such training has increased,” she
said after attending the 8th Certified Integrity Officer convocation at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall Training Institute here.
She said MACC was on track to enforce Section 17A of the MACC Act.
Under the provision, a commercial organisation could be prosecuted if a person associated with it commits a corrupt act to enable the organisation to acquire or retain a contract or interest.
The offence carries a penalty of no less than 10 times the sum of the gratification, or imprisonment of not more than 20 years.
Corporate organisations can raise a defence if they can show that they have adequate procedures in place.
A total of 182 participants, including from the Sarawak government and Johor Corporation, were certified after completing the training provided by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Academy.
Since 2010, 995 people have been certified under the programme.
Present was Public Service Department director-general Datuk Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman.