Procurement sector records highest corruption complaints

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The procurement sector recorded the highest complaints received by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), out of 10 sectors prone to corruption between 2013 and 2018.

It was revealed, during the launch of the National Anti-Corruption Plan 2019-2023 (NACP) by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday (Jan 29), that in the last five years, the procurement sector recorded 42.8% of the total complaints.

It was followed by the enforcement sector at 23.9%.

The administration, as well as licensing and permit sectors, accounted for 13.4% and 8.6% respectively, followed by the financing and revenue sector at 8.1%.

The complaints from other corruption-prone sectors included business and industry (1.2%), legal affairs and judiciary (0.9%), services (0.5%), investment (0.4%) and defence and security (0.1%).

The NACP document also lists six risk areas of corruption, which involve political governance, public sector administration, public procurement, legal and judicial, law enforcement and corporate governance.        

"As public procurement accounts for a substantial portion of the taxpayers' money, it has to be carried out efficiently, so as to save guard the public interest," the document stated.

"Procurement is one area in the government that is most vulnerable to corruption and other illegal activities," it said.

For legal and judicial, it was pivotal to reform some of the existing laws by recommending and introducing changes to them. The reforms must ingrain the principle of separation of powers and put an end to external interference, which in turn would help to regain public respect and confidence.

Meanwhile, a good corporate governance regime would help to ensure that corporations used their capital efficiently, and that corporations take into account the interest of all stakeholders within which they operated, it said.

NACP was one of the 61 initiatives decided upon from the five meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption since the formation of the Pakatan Harapan government that aims at shutting down space and opportunity for anyone involved in corruption. - Bernama