Never-ending battle against graft

IT is a mind-boggling number, but have we become so desensitised to corruption that even when it is revealed that Malaysia lost RM277bil to graft, barely an eyebrow is raised?

This massive leakage over a five-year period, which was revealed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC), could have been used for various initiatives that would have benefited the public.

To put this in perspective, the RM277bil is equivalent to building almost 3,000 schools, over 9,000 government clinics, more than nine million low-cost housing apartments, nearly 300 hospitals and close to three million units of public housing!

Even today, rural schools – especially in Sabah and Sarawak – do not have simple things like electricity and resources for education. So, where is the anger and indignation at the numerous corruption cases the MACC is bringing to trial? Why are our champions of morality silent about these?

The results of the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election will be known tomorrow but it will be interesting to know if any of the candidates or for that matter, either of the political parties contesting, used a corruption-free campaign platform before the polls.

I doubt it, and it should not be a surprise. A zero-corruption campaign ticket would not exactly win you the votes because Malaysians have become blasé about politicians spouting doublespeak about fighting corruption when these same politicians and many of their ilk have been investigated for corruption.

Corruption is a cancer that has permeated every level of Malaysian society. Our nation ranks 57 out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (2023 score). This is a small improvement on our 61st place in 2022, but a far cry from our best position of 23 in 1995.

It is still a long road for Malaysia in its fight against this systemic corruption in various levels of society, from the civil service to the private sector. This pestilence has seeped through every layer of society, not only at the political class. And if there isn’t a collective will on our part to fight this, the country as a whole will continue to suffer.

There are a number of high-profile court cases coming up and once again, all eyes will be on the judiciary. But beyond that, the ordinary Malaysian would also like to see the strengthening of other institutions.

It is no secret, given the number of times the MACC has acted, that our uniformed authorities – the police, Customs, Immigration and Road Transport Department – are particularly prone to corruption.

The temptation to accept bribes is rife among our enforcement authorities and only a zero tolerance of corruption will change the way we operate.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024-2028 on Tuesday.

This new plan emphasises on the effectiveness of anti-graft efforts to improve governance and integrity in public service administration.

The five key strategies outlined in the NACS are education, public accountability, voice, enforcement and incentives, with 60 sub-strategies to be implemented over five years.

It encompasses politicians, public administration, government procurement, law enforcement, legal and judicial institutions, the private sector and the public.

But even the Prime Minister acknowledged that it would be pointless to have numerous anti-corruption plans and strategies if they were not backed by strong political will and direction.

“The scourge of corruption cannot be taken lightly. To combat this, you need a powerful, dedicated and courageous body, strong legislation and laws.

“More profoundly, you need clear political will and direction,” he said.

So, perhaps it is time corruption is addressed as a subject in primary and secondary schools. After all, they are future taxpayers. The next generation are the ones that should be saved from the greed of those in power.

As of now, though, the effectiveness of measures to combat corruption should be called into question. The NACS aims of enhancing integrity and transparency will just be rhetoric if there are no concrete and tangible results.

Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Dr Muhammad Mohan says that greater accountability is needed to prevent the nation from suffering huge losses to corruption.

He believes that there should be greater accountability on the part of government officers who are responsible for losses suffered by the government due to poor administration.

“Freezing their salary or promotion, including transferring them out, may not help.

“Officers responsible for the losses should be held accountable and charged if corruption is involved,” he said.

The graft watchdog’s suggestion may not go down well with the civil service, but it is these types of tougher measures that will make people think twice about indulging in corrupt practices.

The problems are deep-seated and we are a long way off from becoming a society with zero-tolerance for corruption or abuse of power.