Despite RM-to-RM reward, only 214 civil servants expose corruption cases since 2011

Despite the ringgit-to-ringgit incentive offered to civil servants for reporting on corruption cases among them, only 214 individuals had reported such cases since 2011, with the amount of incentives totalling RM384,000.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner, Datuk Shamsun Baharin Mohd Jamil said the figure was considered small, representing only 0.00001 per cent of the 1.6 million civil servants in the country.

"It is undeniable that corruption among civil servants is at a critical level but it is disappointing that since 2011 until early this year, only 214 civil servants were brave enough to lodge reports on corrupt practices in their midst although the minimum incentive is RM500.

"This incentive does not have a fixed maximum value as it depends on the amount of bribe. If it (the amount of bribe offered) is RM1 million, the government will pay (the whistleblower) RM1 million," he said when met by reporters at the Corruption-Free Pledge Taking ceremony of the Kedah Islamic Religious Department (JAIK), here, Tuesday.

Present were Kedah MACC director Mohd Fauzi Mohammad, JAIK director Datuk Abdul Rahman Ismail and 330 JAIK officers and its Islamic affairs assistants.

The ringgit-to-ringgit incentive was introduced by the government in 2011 to curb corruption among civil servants.

Shamsun said the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 and Witness Protection Act 2009 which had shortcomings, had resulting in many public servants not coming forward to report to the MACC, on corruption incidents.

"What is happening now is that a whistleblower can lodge a report to only one law enforcement agency. For example, the Whistleblower Protection Act is automatically not applicable if the whistleblower makes a police report after reporting the case to the MACC.

"Because of this, whistleblowers don''t feel safe, thus we want both acts to be applicable for all the relevant enforcement agencies," he said.

-- BERNAMA