KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia became one of the first 21 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to sign the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Convention.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), in a statement today, said the convention is a cooperative anti-corruption agreement that facilitates information exchange, expertise sharing, and capacity building among OIC member states.
The commission added that the convention was signed when the Malaysian delegation, led by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, attended Second Ministerial Meeting of the Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies in OIC Member States in Doha, Qatar from Nov 26 until Nov 27.
"Malaysia was also among the first countries to sign the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Convention. This agreement aligns with Malaysia's commitment to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)," the statement read.
MACC added that Azalina, during the meeting, reiterated Malaysia's commitment to fighting corruption, highlighted through the launch of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2024-2028 (NACS).
"She also shared Malaysia's progress in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which saw the country improve to the 57th position out of 180 nations last year.
"Additionally, Malaysia announced measures to enhance transparency and governance, including the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act, amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act, and proposals for Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPA) to address corporate corruption cases," the statement said.
The country's delegation, the commission said, also held discussions with Professor Slagjana Taseva, Dean of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA).
The discussions focused on exploring strategic collaborations between IACA and Malaysia, including plans to host the IACA Regional Summer Academy in Kuala Lumpur next year.
"This meeting reflects the significant role and trust placed in Malaysia, evident through the appointment of Azalina as the IACA Assembly of Parties (AoP) president and the reappointment of Tan Sri Azam Baki as a member of the IACA Board of Governors (BoG) for the 2024-2027 term, recently.
"Malaysia's participation and commitment to anti-corruption efforts reaffirm the nation's resolve to work with OIC member states to strengthen the principles of transparency, accountability, and integrity at the international level."