Drop in graft index no surprise, say civil society groups

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s drop in rankings on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2021 comes as no surprise given the number of high profile corruption cases that have been dropped, the clampdown on civil liberties, and the lack of institutional reforms, say civil society groups.

Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Jerald Joseph (pic) said he was not surprised with the fall in rankings, noting that this should be the time to motivate the country to push forward with the reform agenda.