KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 2,332 youths aged 16 to 40 have been arrested for various corruption offences by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over a period of five years since 2019.
MACC community education division director Nazli Rasyid Sulong said these arrests included offences such as bribery, false claims, abuse of position, money laundering, and other related crimes.
He highlighted that these statistics depict a serious issue of corruption among young people that needs to be curbed to prevent it from becoming normalised in society.
"If this continues, what will happen in ten years? By then, we may not be able to change anything because it could be seen as a norm or a normal part of life," he said.
"In view of this, MACC is currently making efforts to educate young people, especially students who are the hope and future leaders of the country," he added during the closing ceremony of the 9th Anti-Corruption Student Force (Amar) convention at Kem Permata Resort, Alor Gajah, Melaka, on Thursday (June 27).
Amar, established 17 years ago, has been actively spreading the anti-corruption message across campuses, with a total of 2,988 programmes implemented involving the participation of 816,734 students.
Nazli added that it is not easy for busy students to manage their study schedules, complete assignments and face exams each semester, while also dedicating time to carry out anti-corruption education activities on campus.
"Indeed, Amar members are fulfilling their social responsibility as Malaysian citizens who desire a country and society free from the shackles of corruption," he said, expressing hope that AMAR would continue to remain relevant in disseminating the anti-corruption message across the country. — Bernama
