LETTERS: THE Year of the Metal Rat will be a year of new beginnings. Transparency International (TI) has just released its Corruption Perceptions Index 2019 results.
On Jan 29 last year, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the National Anti-Corruption Plan 2019-2023 (NACP) which aims to fully address governance, integrity and anti-corruption measures.
The vision of the NACP is to make Malaysia a corruption-free nation with three broad missions — (1) to create a clean business environment; (2) to improve government efficiency, transparency and accountability based on good governance; and (3) to uphold the rule of law.
The goals are (a) ease in business dealings; (b) efficient delivery of public service; and (c) professionalism and credibility of the judiciary, prosecution and law enforcement.
The NACP has 115 initiatives, six strategies and six priority areas detailing the government’s overall efforts, all aimed at curbing, combating and curtailing corruption in Malaysia.
There should be zero tolerance for dishonesty in any kleptocracies, oligarchies and failed states.
On that day, Transparency International also released its 24th Annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2018. Malaysia scored 47/100 points and was positioned at 61/180.
Only one year into our NACP, Malaysia has jumped 10 spots to 51st out of 180 countries from last year’s 61st place with a score of 53/100 in TI’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2019.
Transparency International Malaysia credited the improvement to the new government’s swift action on 1Malaysia Development Bhd, SRC International, the Felda and Tabung Haji scandals, the arrest of several political figures for corruption and money laundering, greater media freedom, asset declaration of MPs, incorporating a Corporate Liability provision in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements on anti-corruption and the Whistleblower Protection Policy, as well as others.
There is no doubt that these initiatives augur well for Malaysia to climb up the CPI index and gradually become better known for anti-corruption measures implemented across the country.
However, these are some additional recommendations to be considered:
CHECK and balance should be tightened and strengthened within the bureaucracy, and the lawmakers. No one should be immune from the law;
PUBLIC contracting and procurement should be done according to global procurement
standards such as the World Bank Procurement Guidelines and the Model Law on Procurement of Goods, Construction and
Services adopted by the United
Nations Commission on International Trade Law; and the plurilateral Government Procurement Agreement of the World Trade Organisation. Speed up the Public Procurement Act too;
IMPROVE the “Ease of Doing Business” index by removing
red tape and managing conflicts of interest in government policy-making. Enhance the “Good Regulation Practices” and focus on
e-governance;
CHECK on illicit outflows and money-laundering and ensure transparent political financing with proper oversight mechanisms.
The National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NFCC) must be put into action immediately to fight economic crime, with particular focus on money-laundering and corruption offences, by enhancing cooperation between different law enforcement agencies, as well as with the government and the private sector; and,
MAKE ethics and integrity subjects compulsory in all schools, colleges and universities.
We are in a quagmire but we have to get out of it once and for all!
Our CPI score must be at least 83/100 and we must be ranked among the top 10. That should be our goal.
DR K.M. LOI
Subang Jaya, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times