The government is committed to cooperating with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in combating corruption so that Malaysia's ranking including in terms of transparency and competitiveness improves, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the building of the new MACC headquarters in Putrajaya, the biggest anti-corruption complex in the world and complete with all the necessary facilities, was the government's manifestation of the fight against corruption and abuse of power.

"Corruption is a threat to the nation, our civilisation, society and our country's future.

"If we can curb and combat corruption, Malaysia our beloved nation will be more successful , highly regarded and more respected, and be at the forefront as envisaged in the TN50 (National Transformation 2050) vision)," he said when officially opening the complex, here, a new landmark for Putrajaya.

The MACC headquarters which was fully completed and handed over on July 21, was designed to meet the agency's operational needs and administration system.

It is located on a 2.07-hectare site in Precinct 7 and can accommodate about 1,800 staff. It comprises three towers, A B and C at 14, 18 and 22 storeys respectively, and a seven-storey podium.

Among the facilities at the complex are a multipurpose hall with a capacity for 1,000 people, an auditorium which can accommodate 300 people, a childcare centre, gymnasium, shooting simulation room, library and press conference room.

At the event which also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the ACA/MACC's establishment on Oct 1, Najib also announced an immediate allocation of RM5 million for Yayasan Prihatin SPRM, a foundation set up to look after the welfare of MACC personnel.

"We know that MACC personnel work hard day and night, hence we need to give moral support towards the welfare of MACC personnel. Hopefully, this will lift their spirits to fight all out against corruption," he said.

Recalling the history of the MACC, he said the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) was established in 1967 under the Prime Minister's Department during the time of Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

He said although the ACA showed good performance, the public perceived this government agency as not independent in carrying out its tasks, especially in the area of enforcement.

The ACA was then empowered to become MACC in 2009 as an independent entity during the leadership of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Malaysia's fifth prime minister.

Najib said the government would continue to fight the scourge of corruption under the Government Transformation Programme through various programmes under the National Key Result Area (NKRA) of combating corruption.

Among the measures taken, he said, was the setting up of a compliance unit at five enforcement agencies, namely the Royal Malaysian Police, Malaysia Immigration Department, Royal Customs and Excise Department, Road Transport Department and MACC to monitor the conduct of their officers and staff.

Najib said among other initiatives implemented were enactment of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, and creation of the 'name-and-shame' data base for offenders in corruption cases and the MyProcurement portal of the Government Procurement Information Centre.

He said the 'name-and-shame' data base was developed not only for public knowledge but could also be used by foreign countries to check on visa applications so as to reject the applications of individuals listed as risky.

-- BERNAMA