PETALING JAYA: Transparency International (TI) has thrown its support behind Malaysia’s ambition to rank among the world’s top 25 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by 2030, saying stronger preventive measures and consistent enforcement will be key to achieving the goal.
TI chairman Francois Valerian said anti-corruption agencies also need adequate financial resources and manpower, as well as independence from political influence, to effectively carry out their duties.
"Transparency International welcomes cooperation with anti-corruption agencies to help improve a country’s CPI performance," he said during a courtesy visit to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya on Tuesday (June 16).
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The visit is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation between TI and the MACC in promoting good governance, integrity, transparency and anti-corruption initiatives.
MACC deputy chief commissioner (Prevention) Datuk Azmi Kamaruzaman said the commission remained committed to enhancing its collaboration with TI and exploring new areas of cooperation to strengthen the country’s integrity framework.
"MACC is committed to expanding existing cooperation and exploring new areas of collaboration that can contribute to strengthening the country’s integrity system," he said.
Azmi said the commission, through its National Governance Planning Division, serves as the main secretariat for the CPI Special Task Force.
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He said the task force, together with six CPI focus groups, works closely with ministries, government agencies, academic institutions, the private sector and civil society organisations to identify factors affecting Malaysia’s CPI performance.
According to Azmi, Malaysia’s CPI score for last year increased by two points from 50 to 52, while the country’s global ranking improved three places from 57th to 54th.
"The improvement reflects positive progress resulting from governance and integrity reforms," he said.
Azmi added that MACC values its longstanding relationship with TI and views the collaboration as an important platform for exchanging ideas and best practices in combating corruption.
