KUALA LUMPUR: Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) has welcomed the Immigration Department's move to 'clean house' but warned that real reform is stymied by weak civic consciousness and a lack of accountability within the civil service.
Its president Dr Muhammad Mohan highlighted two critical issues that must be addressed to encourage integrity — the amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2010 and the swift establishment of an ombudsman's office.
As it is, Section 6 of the act allows protection to be withdrawn if other laws are violated and civil servants fear retribution under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
"This loophole, combined with the fear of retribution under the Official Secrets Act, discourages civil servants from reporting wrongdoing," he told the New Straits Times' podcast, Beyond the Headlines.
Mohan argued that increasing civil servants' salaries won't tackle corruption effectively, as it is fueled more by greed than financial need.
"Cultural change is essential. Malaysians need to be educated on values and accountability from a moral or religious perspective to drive meaningful reform," he said.
On public attitudes, Mohan said the prevailing mindset among Malaysians, who often view corruption as solely a government or leadership issue rather than a collective responsibility, remains a problem.
"A previous survey we conducted revealed that 52 per cent of Malaysians believe it is not important to report corruption. In other words, over half of those surveyed feel that reporting corruption is not a priority. This is a significant issue," he said.
The government's consideration to come up with a unified ombudsman model to enhance public complaints resolution is already the right approach, he said.
"However, I do hope it can be done during the period of the Madani government as that would be a big achievement."