PUTRAJAYA: Graft busters have set their sights on the nation achieving a score of at least 60 in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) within the next two to three years.
Malaysian-Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said accomplishing such a goal would be a very good achievement.
"While Malaysia’s ranking has improved, the more meaningful benchmark is the CPI score itself, not the position on the global table.
“Last year we got 50 over 100. This year we achieved two more points to 52 over 100,” he said during a special media session on Wednesday (Feb 11).
"If we can achieve 60 in the next two to three years, that for me is good enough."
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He acknowledged that some may be more concerned about Malaysia’s global ranking but reiterated that improving the score remains his primary focus. Malaysia moved up three places to 54th last year from 57th in 2024.
Azam noted that countries such as Qatar have achieved scores of around 60.
"Securing the eight-point jump would mark a significant breakthrough.
"Our gradual improvement is due to stronger political will and governance reforms under the current administration," he added.
Azam cited government commitment as the single most critical factor in influencing perception surveys.
"The best reason is because there is political will by the leaders now. If there is no political will, there will be no reform," he said.
Azam, who has served in government for 42 years, said global perception surveys are heavily influenced by views on leadership integrity, reform momentum and enforcement consistency.
"When politics is not stable, when leaders don’t show political will, then respondents will perceive negatively," he said.
He added that the MACC, together with a special task force chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government, is engaging key stakeholders and survey contributors to better explain enforcement outcomes and reform initiatives.
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"We need to explain to them. For some of them, it could be that they don’t understand. Taking action and the end result are two different things," he said.
Azam added that aggressive enforcement alone was insufficient unless accompanied by visible governance reforms.
He stressed that improving perception requires consistent messaging and tangible institutional reform, warning that "no news is bad news" in today’s climate.
"So for me, there must be news about initiatives," he said.
Azam maintained that while the MACC has intensified action against high-profile cases and strengthened oversight mechanisms, the broader ecosystem of governance across agencies must also improve if Malaysia is to break past the 60-point threshold.
He said achieving that benchmark would signal that Malaysia’s reform efforts are translating into measurable improvements in global perception and, more importantly, public confidence at home.
