PETALING JAYA: About RM277bil has been lost in the past six years due to graft involving public funds, says Tan Sri Azam Baki.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner said a more aggressive and high-impact enforcement approach is needed to tackle financial crimes involving the theft and leakage of public funds.
Speaking on the MACC.fm’s Sembang Tamu podcast, he said the MACC will continue to focus on high-profile and large-scale cases, particularly those involving the loss of national assets, in line with comprehensive efforts to eradicate corrupt practices that harm the government.
“Critical corruption issues persist even though there is hope that they may decline. Therefore, the MACC must continue to mobilise its manpower and resources to ensure that efforts to recover assets and bring perpetrators to justice are carried out effectively,” he said yesterday.
Azam also praised the dedication showed by MACC officers who he said “continue to work tirelessly” despite facing pressure and attacks on social media.
He stressed that MACC’s role also includes preventive efforts to educate the public, especially the younger generation.
“There is a great deal of inaccurate information on social media that can influence public perception,” he said.
On issues of perceptions and online criticism, Azam noted that while perceptions cannot be prevented, they must be managed effectively.
