Sabah MACC: 'Kautim' is a dirty word

KOTA KINABALU: The colloquial term "kautim" (meaning settle in Cantonese) is a dirty word usually used to reflect graft and this must stop, says the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).

Sabah MACC director Datuk Sazali Salbi said the word "settle" had a similar negative connotation as it implied to solving matters through corrupt means.

It was because of this that the MACC embarked on its 3J campaign – Jangan Hulur (Don't give), Jangan Kautim and Jangan Settle, he said.

He said this was part of the MACC's Anti-Corruption Revolution Movement, aimed at getting Malaysians to say no to any form of corrupt practice.

"We want to create awareness and a hatred of corruption and any type of power abuse," Sazali said at the corruption-free pledge ceremony of the Sabah Farmers' Organisation Authority here on Tuesday.

He said that recent MACC investigations showed that corrupt practices not only hampered development projects supposed to benefit the people, but had an impact on their safety as well.

"There have been cases where the people's safety was compromised because of weaknesses in enforcement actions of certain agencies," Sazali added.

MACC probes also found civil servants living beyond their means and could not explain how they attained their wealth, he said.

"The question we have to ask ourselves is why such cases occurred in the first place," Shaharom added.