SUBANG JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said efforts to locate two fugitives wanted in a corruption case have been hampered by differences in legal systems, particularly over Malaysia’s use of caning as a punishment.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki (pic) said cooperation with Interpol and the Home Ministry is ongoing, but one country has declined to assist due to its laws.
“Yes, we are working with Interpol. But some countries cannot give assistance, even through Interpol.
“One country – I won’t name it – cannot help because under our law, the offence carries caning as a punishment. Since their legal system does not have caning, they cannot assist with extradition,” he said here yesterday.
Azam also confirmed that lawyer Mansoor Saad and businessman Datuk Seri Muhammad Adlan Berhan, both wanted for corruption and misappropriation linked to a government project, remain at large.
“Mansoor Saad is still at large overseas. I cannot confirm his whereabouts. The same goes for Adlan Berhan – as I mentioned yesterday, he is still abroad.
“We are continuing to track them through our international network, especially with the Home Ministry,” he said to the media after attending the High-Level Dialogue on Private Sector Compliance held in conjunction with the closing of the 21st Asean Parties Against Corruption (Asean-PAC) Principals Meeting, with the event co-organised by MACC and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Muhammad Adlan, the son-in-law of former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and Mansoor, have been on the run since last year.
Mansoor, 70, fled the country shortly after Adlan, 49, with both classified as fugitives by MACC.
On Wednesday, Azam said Muhammad Adlan’s Malaysian passport has been cancelled, and it is believed he is using another passport to travel.
“It is likely he is able to move between countries because he is using a non-Malaysian passport. Tracing his assets overseas is not easy – it requires cooperation from foreign agencies,” he said.
Earlier, Azam said the dialogue gathered private sector experts to share insights on integrity and compliance.
He said MACC is expanding its focus to corruption in the private sector, which has contributed to Malaysia’s decline in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
“Apart from enforcing the law in the public sector, we are now looking at corruption in the private sector.
“One factor behind our CPI drop relates to perception among businesses, so their input is important,” Azam aded.
The dialogue, moderated by PETRONAS Dagang Bhd’s Compliance Planning and Strategy head Hafiz Bakri, featured six speakers.
They were Halim Mazmin Bhd founder Tan Sri Dr Halim Mohammad, MACC Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chairman Datin Yasmin Ahmad Merican, MACC Operational Review Panel chairman Datuk Ahmad Rosli Mohd Sham, UNODC Anti-Corruption Hub team lead Annika Wythes, Balai Ikhtisas Malaysia honorary secretary Lim Kok Sang, and Asian Development Bank senior integrity specialist Steven Wong.
Yasmin, who helped develop the Keep Malaysia Clean initiative launched by the Prime Minister on Oct 1, said the programme seeks to engage Malaysians, from schools and businesses to civil servants, in the fight against corruption.
“Enforcement is doing well but if the whole country doesn’t participate, we cannot succeed.
“Keep Malaysia Clean is the first grassroots corruption prevention programme in the world. Unlike other countries, it’s not top-down – we invite everyone to join,” she said.
The initiative will begin with the education sector next month, followed by SMEs, large corporations and the wider public.
“If we succeed, hopefully next year we’ll see our CPI move in the right direction,” Yasmin added.
Halim called for anti-corruption education to start from young, suggesting that integrity lessons be introduced in schools.
“We must begin with children. If we teach them early that corruption is wrong, those values will stay with them when they become leaders,” he said, adding that Malaysia should instil moral discipline among the young like Japan, where people feel shame over dishonest acts.
