MACC rapped for poor performance despite bigger budget allocation

Kampar MP Dr Ko Chung Sen said this is because, within a five-year period, for every cases convicted, the government has given an average amount of RM707,744 and fined an average amount of RM34,892.87.

“This is at best, a return of 4.9 per cent. What is alarming is that in 2013, despite a massive increase of 24.4 per cent in the budget to more than a quarter of a billion ringgit from 2011, the total number of cases convicted has actually dropped by 31.7 per cent.

“To get a conviction in 2013, MACC needed 8.8 officers to work for a year with an expenditure of RM949,705 to get a fine of RM43,649,” he said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby today, referring to a question he raised in Parliament.

He had asked the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to state the breakdown of the amount of graft money involved in the cases investigated by MACC for the past five years and also the number prosecutions and convictions involved.

He said that from the statistics that was revealed, there was a gradual increase in the budget allocation from RM202,280,000 in 2011 to RM211,288,500 in 2012 and RM251,672,000 in 2013.

However the amount of fines issued had dropped from RM14,570,799 in 2012 to RM11,567,130 in 2013.

According to the written reply given by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datul Paul Low Seng Kuan, there were 1,078 cases opened and 811 cases completed in 2012 with 401 cases prosecuted and 339 convictions.

However, in 2013 only 27.1 per cent of the 976 cases were convicted.

For a period of five years from 2008 to 2013, a total of 5,517 graft cases were opened but only 1,395 convictions were recorded.

“So, not only the MACC was not catching the big sharks, the little fishes were also getting away. Ever since Najib took office, he has repeatedly declared his determination to fight corruption.

“Unfortunately, despite the higher funding in tackling graft, bribery and corruption in Malaysia seems to be worsening, as found by auditing company KPMG, in January 2014,” Ko said.

He said about 90 per cent of the corporate executives have agreed that bribery and corruption were the major problem for businesses in Malaysia.

“Obviously the appointment of Low to be in charge of Transparency and Integrity has not shown any improvement in fighting corruption.