Enforcement and prevention serve as the two main pillars of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), says its Perak director Azizul Ahmad Sarkawi.
“Besides enforcement action such as arrests, prosecutions, seizures and compounds, we also need to place greater emphasis on prevention, particularly in addressing issues related to governance,” he said during a dialogue session between Perak MACC and media practitioners at the commission’s headquarters in Ipoh.
The dialogue session was moderated by MACC Strategic Communications Division director Hisyam Mohd Yusoff.
Azizul said that public education remained another key aspect of the commission’s work, with outreach programmes organised in line with its overall goals, vision and mission.
He said Perak MACC collaborated closely with the state government and various public agencies, including statutory bodies, district councils as well as district and land offices, to execute prevention initiatives and provide advisory services.
Clarifying the concept of a governance investigation (“siasatan tatakelola”), Azizul said that it allowed the commission to evaluate the systems and procedures of public agencies to identify administrative weaknesses, gaps and loopholes.
“The findings can then be used to recommend improvements to existing procedures and strengthen governance in the agencies concerned,” he added.
The event included a tour of facilities at the Perak MACC headquarters, including its lockups, identification and fingerprinting rooms, giving media practitioners insight into the commission’s daily operations.
Perak Media Practitioners Association chairman Sayed Mohd Hesham Syed Idris said the visit gave journalists a clearer understanding of the commission’s facilities and processes to support accurate reporting.
