KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 652 public servants have been rewarded RM1.18mil since 2012 for taking a stand against corruption by reporting bribe offers and demands, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) revealed.
MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said 529 of these officers received both monetary incentives and certificates, while another 123 were awarded certificates of appreciation.
Speaking after chairing the MACC Recognition Evaluation Panel Meeting on Tuesday (Sept 22), Abd Halim highlighted that the recognition honours personal integrity while setting a strong precedent across the civil service.
"This recognition is not only a symbol of appreciation for the integrity of public servants, but also serves as an encouragement and example to others," he said.
The police topped the list of agency recipients since 2012 with 437 officers, followed by the Immigration Department (64), the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (33), and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (21).
For the 2026 evaluation series, 54 public servants across four agencies have been nominated, involving 30 investigation papers and a combined total of RM304,621 in attempted bribes. The latest nominees include 38 police officers, 12 from the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP), three from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), and one from the Immigration Department.
Among the standout cases highlighted was a Perlis police officer who turned down a massive RM200,000 bribe linked to the seizure of 1.8 tonnes of methamphetamine. In another notable case, a civil servant in Johor rejected a RM45,000 offer.
To qualify for the award, nominees must undergo strict MACC integrity screening and police criminal record checks.
"Nominated public servants must have lodged an official complaint regarding the offer or acceptance of a bribe and fully cooperated with MACC investigators through to the conclusion of court proceedings," Abd Halim explained.
Moving forward, Abd Halim urged the government to expand the reward scheme beyond enforcement agencies to the wider public service, particularly for officers handling high-risk areas like public procurement.
The recognition programme stems from an August 2010 Special Cabinet Committee decision on Government Management Integrity, guided by directives issued by the Chief Secretary to the Government in May 2011.
Also present at the meeting were MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya, AGC Deputy Director of Prosecution II Datuk Kamal Baharin Omar, and Public Service Department Deputy Director-General (Operations) Datuk Mohd Shaiful Ibrahim.
