KUALA LUMPUR: The Housing and Local Government Ministry must set concrete and measurable improvement targets for local authorities that had their ratings downgraded due to new anti-corruption criteria.
Anti-graft watchdogs Malaysian Corruption Watch president Jais Abdul Karim said this will enable these local authorities to find the root causes of their downgrading and enhance their ratings in the future.
While it supported the ministry's approach to providing counselling for these local authorities following the introduction of anti-corruption criteria in the Local Authority Star Rating System (SPB-PBT), more robust actions are needed.
"While MCW supports the ministry's approach to provide counselling for the downgraded local authorities, we strongly advocate for additional, more concrete steps.
"We suggest setting specific, measurable targets for improvement, introducing structured training programmes on corruption prevention, and implementing regular, independent audits to monitor progress," he said when contacted by the New Straits Times.
.
Earlier today, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said 12 local authorities have been downgraded of their ratings in the SPB-PBT after the government puts in place an anti-corruption criteria.
Nga said the new evaluation criteria was put in place to ensure that the country improves its position in the corruption perception index (CPI) ranking.
The SPB-PBT is a government rating system used to evaluate local authorities' performance and efficiency. It serves as a mechanism to assess how well local authorities meet established service standards, encourage improvements in service delivery, and identify areas needing enhancement.
Through SPB-PBT, local authorities are given star ratings based on their performance across various categories, including financial management, service delivery, and administrative effectiveness.
Jais added that local authorities should also adopt integrity-centered practices, such as enhanced financial transparency, stronger internal controls, and open reporting mechanisms, to address areas of concern proactively.
These efforts, he said, are crucial not only for improved ratings but to embed a culture of accountability that strengthens governance at the local level.
He also welcomed the inclusion of anti-corruption criteria as a significant and positive step.
"This move aligns directly with MCW's mission to strengthen integrity and accountability across government institutions, enhancing transparency and building public trust in local authority performance assessments," he said.
Meanwhile, Transparency International Malaysia president Dr Muhammad Mohan said the ministry should be more transparent by displaying the performance rankings of local authorities on a public dashboard.
"This is not about naming and shaming, but about improving efficiency and making this nation free of corruption.
"I urge all local authorities to take this positively and work with the government to improve our CPI scores year by year.
"This is a good move, and I want to congratulate the ministry for being transparent and proactive in incorporating the corruption scores from the MACC into their ratings. We hope other agencies will follow suit," he said.
He added that to improve the CPI ranking, local authorities must enhance their efficiency in service delivery and adopt automated and online systems to minimize human contact.
On counselling as a mitigation measure for downgraded local authorities, he said the counsellor must identify the root of the issue and find ways to eliminate corruption.