Unshackling from corruption

EAIC: Citizens must fight graft, abuse of power hand in hand with govt

PUTRAJAYA: While the fluttering of the Jalur Gemilang and shouts of Merdeka grow louder as the 67th National Day approaches, this patriotic spirit will be more meaningful if it is translated into action by citizens joining the government to free the nation of corruption and abuse of power.

Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) chairman Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar called on all Malaysians to embody the spirit of independence by courageously opposing misconduct and corruption to uphold the dignity of the nation.

He said the government’s aspiration was for civil servants to have high integrity, ensuring that there were no more leakages in the management of government finances, thus improving the delivery of services to the people.

“There should be no more injustice in public service delivery – no more favouritism.

“This is the spirit of independence from the perspective of integrity. It means that if we have a free spirit, we are free to receive government services fairly and equitably without the need to participate in government project tenders that require middlemen,” he told Bernama in an interview recently.

Ismail said if the public service delivery system was transparent, the government’s allocations would be fully utilised for projects without any leakages, thus ensuring that the people fully benefit from the allocations.

“Government projects are funded by the people; if there is leakage, the people have to pay back, the lifespan of the project becomes shorter and the quality declines. Eventually, the project requires additional maintenance costs.

“There is no funding due to leakage, so the government has to borrow and then raise taxes.

“Therefore, corruption and integrity issues need to be viewed from a broader perspective.”

He added that significant losses of national revenue could occur due to negligence in government agencies such as at ports and entry points and the presence of elements providing protection to illegal activities and the underground economy.

“In line with the National Day theme, Malaysia Madani – Jiwa Merdeka, EAIC appeals to all government agencies to engage in self-reflection.

“We need to reflect on whether what we have been doing is right, especially for agencies with the power to act but instead protect activities that harm society and the nation, losing opportunities to generate revenue by protecting illegal activities,” Ismail added.

He said every civil servant was appointed by the King through the Constitution, and if the civil servant lacks integrity by protecting illegal activities such as gambling, prostitution and drugs, they were betraying their appointment and the government.

Ismail said fighting corruption and misconduct was everyone’s responsibility.

He stressed that efforts to enhance the level of integrity among civil servants begin with the appointment process, adding that if the appointment to a position was done correctly and in accordance with the law, it ensures that integrity was better instilled at the public service level.

He also said the role of schools in providing knowledge and exposure on integrity needed to be strengthened and parents should educate their children about not taking what does not belong to them and not encouraging the culture of giving bribes to get tasks done.

Ismail emphasised that achieving the status of an esteemed nation required more than economic progress and development as it was also essential for civil servants to be respected for their high level of integrity, thus setting an example for other countries.

“Foreigners look at Malaysia based on the strength of its civil servants.

“Good civil servants reflect the country’s development. I’m sure that if the civil servants are not up to the mark, the country will not progress.“I want to see Malaysian civil servants known worldwide as individuals with integrity who can contribute to the nation’s development,” he said.