MACC regrets Penang's reluctance to sign pledge

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has frowned on Penang’s reluctance to sign the Corruption-Free Pledge and make a commitment to combat the country’s number one enemy.

MACC chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad said other states had signed it while Kelantan and Selangor had indicated their readiness to do the same.

"We cannot force Penang to sign it. So we’ll just have to wait and see. But looking at the scenario, a lot of corruption-related reports had been lodged in Penang,” he told reporters at an MACC Aidilfitri gathering with the Chinese community in Pulau Ketam here last night.

On Wednesday, the Penang government described the ‘Transparency, Accountability and Efficiency’ principle it had adopted since 2008 was more effective in preventing corruption and power abuse compared to MACC’s corruption-free pledge.

Penang’s reaction followed a statement by Dzulkifli on Monday that three opposition state governments, Penang, Selangor and Kelantan had not made any commitment to sign the pledge.

Meanwhile, Dzulkifli said MACC held the first-time Aidilfitri gathering at Pulau Ketam to build better rapport with the Chinese community there.

He said MACC wanted to convey that it was constantly up in arms against corruption for the good of all Malaysians irrespective of race and religion.

"Since taking over the helm in MACC I had always emphasised that MACC should be people-friendly yet be a bane to the corrupt,” he said.

-- BERNAMA