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Expert: Human integrity, not software, is the real solution to bid rigging

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite government efforts to bolster internal controls and adopt advanced technologies, combating bid-rigging ultimately hinges on human integrity.

"There's no point in importing the best internal control policies or the most expensive software tools from Harvard or Oxford if the handlers lack integrity," said HELP University's Institute of Crime & Criminology director Datuk Seri Dr Akhbar Satar today.

Akhbar, who also serves as Malaysian Integrity and Governance Society president, said that even a "simple software from a local university" would suffice if officials upheld strong moral values.

To tackle bid rigging, he suggested training procurement officers and leveraging advanced data analysis tools to identify red flags, such as "qualified bidders failing to participate" or "tenders submitted at excessively high prices without logical cost justification."

He added that top leadership must demonstrate strong moral principles and lead by example to ensure integrity in the procurement process.

Yesterday, the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) said that eliminating bid rigging could save the government up to 15 per cent of its annual expenditure, which amounts to RM13.5 billion.

The MyCC also highlighted that, despite existing legislation such as anti-corruption laws and the Penal Code, bid-rigging cartels have found ways to bypass these regulations, dominating certain markets and making it difficult for new players to enter.

In a 2020 column for New Straits Times, Akhbar warned that "bid-rigging damages industries, leads to corruption, inflates prices for consumers, and harms the economy."

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