PUTRAJAYA: Despite Malaysia gaining infamy due to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, it can, nevertheless, be proud of its whistle-blowers.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said she was especially proud of the women who stepped forward.
“In Malaysia, I am proud to share that we have three exemplary women whistle-blowers from the Auditor General’s Office.”
She was referring to former auditor general Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad, former audit performance director Saadatul Nafisah and audit director Datuk Nor Salwani Muhammad’s role in exposing the alleged tampering of the 2016 final audit report on 1MDB.
“These women are key witnesses for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on a case being heard in our courts.
“The women have sacrificed their lives and reputation. They sacrificed all they had worked for and their own livelihoods.
“I pray for an environment where this is no longer required,” Dr Wan Azizah said in her keynote address at the Apec 2020 Symposium on Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment to Fight Corruption.
Present was MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the women, family and community development minister, quoted former International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director and now president of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, who said: “What we have observed is that when there are more women, the banks’ capital buffers are larger, the number of non-performing loans is smaller and the risk indices are lower. It is not causality but it is a strong correlation”.
Research on the role of women in fighting corruption still needs more work, she added.
“We need to step up efforts to have accountable systems that will not only empower women at all levels, but also create the structures to fight corruption effectively both in the public and private sectors.
“We need the right attitudes to move away from a male-dominated and the boy-club culture, to one that looks at contribution as contribution, regardless of gender. The tone from the top is absolutely key when fighting corruption,” she said.
At the Apec level, Dr Wan Azizah said one could advocate for the inclusion of more grassroots women leaders in drafting committees of anti-corruption treaties and national legislation.
“We could encourage international peer exchanges between women groups to enable cross-fertilisation and capacity building.
“Engage in community mapping to generate and analyse information on the causes of corruption and ways of addressing it in public agencies,” said the deputy prime minister.