KUALA LUMPUR: Ministries and departments’ top officials must prioritise whistleblower protection to strengthen governance and elevate Malaysia’s position in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by 2030, says the country’s anti-graft agency.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) national governance planning division deputy director Mohd Gunawan Che Ab Aziz said this is critical to remove civil servants’ fear of reporting misconduct and, in turn, bolster organisational integrity.
He said secretaries-general and directors-general must translate the government’s commitment to amending the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 down to the grassroots level, and ensure the integrity unit in every ministry functions independently and reports directly to the MACC.
“The Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan must also serve as a key performance indicator for promotions of high-ranking officers to ensure that the anti-corruption agenda is carried out effectively,” he said.
He added that secretaries-general and directors-general must also lead comprehensive reforms in public procurement and contract systems, including full open tenders and mandatory declarations of beneficial ownership for all bidding companies.
He said the move is in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2024-2028 to curb cronyism and proxy practices.
He hoped the Government Procurement Act would be expedited to provide a stronger legal framework, Bernama reported.
Mohd Gunawan also proposed fully digitalising government service delivery to reduce discretion and physical interactions that could lead to corruption.
He said artificial intelligence systems, algorithm-driven automatic approvals and digital audit trails would enhance transparency and allow irregularities to be detected in real time.
