LETTERS: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has shown its determination to act against anyone who commits corruption or any crimes associated with it.
This is especially so when a by-election is scheduled in Sungai Bakap on July 6.
By now, the MACC is aware that it cannot just issue reminders and hope the public will abide by them. We can expect the agency will act swiftly against anyone who commits corruption.
At any point of the election, any form of assistance, including announcements of allocations, should not be allowed to avoid negative perceptions of the voting process.
If there is a plan to give any assistance or allocation, it should be done before or after the election.
No individual or political party should be allowed to give any assistance or make an announcement of allocation whenever there is an election.
Admittedly, it is very tough to prevent and eradicate corruption due to the lack of understanding and clarity over the definition and categories of corruption.
For instance, does the handover of any assistance and announcement of allocation by politicians or political parties be regarded as corruption? This is still a gray area.
Some see it as corruption while others do not. Some even consider such act as a part of the political culture.
Thus, it is important to restate that corruption can be defined as the act of giving or receiving any gratification or reward in the form of cash or in kind of high value for performing a task in relation to his or her job description, according to the MACC.
Besides cash, corruption can also take form of gifts, discount offers, votes, services, job position or placement, loans and many other forms of payment for payments and purchases.
The penalty for corruption is a maximum 20 years' jail and a minimum fine of RM10,000 or five times the value of the bribe (whichever is higher) (Section 24 MACC Act 2009).
We trust the MACC will continue to deal with such issues. Similar monitoring processes must also be carried out on all social media platforms.
Besides MACC, all of us must play our role by reporting any suspicious activities related to corruption to the authorities like the MACC, Election Commission or the police, along with the evidence.
DR MUZAFFAR SYAH MALLOW
Associates Professor, Faculty of Syariah & Laws, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times