TI Malaysia: Set cap on civil servants’ tenure

KUALA LUMPUR: Transparency International Malaysia is calling for a maximum tenure of three years for senior civil servants, following the biggest ever seizure by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) in Sabah.

Its president Datuk Akhbar Satar said putting a cap on the tenure could prevent the officials from getting too close to their clients and being influenced by those with money.

However, those with corrupt intent would surely find a way to cheat, he added.

“Therefore, the most important thing is, the handlers must have integrity,” he said, adding that a crisis of integrity is looming in the country.

On Wednesday, the MACC seized RM114mil worth of cash from the homes and offices of the Sabah Water Department’s director and his deputy, besides also recovering luxury vehicles, watches, jewellery and handbags.

Akhbar said he was surprised the officers could, and dared to, amass the amount of cash and luxury products.

“It’s a red flag if the officers are living beyond their means,” he said.

Citing statistics from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Akhbar said 5% of a company’s revenue is lost to fraud each year.

He said the prevention unit of the MACC and the Malaysian Institute of Integrity should be roped in to train staff members.

“Don’t just train them on how to improve productivity or get promoted. Make them sit for anti-fraud courses from time to time, too.”

For checks and balances, Akhbar suggested that huge projects by government departments must be approved by an oversight committee, a common practice in Britain and many European countries.

Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) founder Cynthia Gabriel said besides limiting the tenure of top government officers, declaration of assets once every few years should also be made compulsory.

She added that annual reports of government departments must be published for the public to keep track of their activities, expenditure and projects.