A more aggressive stance in fighting corruption

In GTP 1.0 the Fighting Corruption NKRA had aspired to enhance transparency, efficiency and integrity of the regulatory and enforcement agencies, the government procurement process and tackle grand corruption. However despite the big wins achieved under the GTP 1.0 initiatives, the public remains skeptical of the government’s success at fighting corruption.

The results of the GCB July 2013 highlighted a number of interesting details. More than one in four respondents (27%) said they paid a bribe over the past 12 months when accessing key public institutions and services globally. However only 3% did so in Malaysia which is one of the lowest in the report and comparable to South Korea, Spain and Norway.

Hence in GTP 2.0 a more aggressive stance will be taken. Those initiatives that have proven to be effective in GTP 1.0 will be reinforced and enhanced while new ones will be introduced to further expand the nexus of change. The aspirations remain the same but for the addition of a new one: Education and Public Support.

These 4 aspirations will be achieved through the following 6 main thrusts of action:

1. Transforming the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)

2. Enhancing the Corporate Integrity System

3. Incorporating a Corporate Liability Clause in the MACC Act

4. Transforming the Attorney-General reporting process

5. Improving the government procurement process

6. Anti-corruption education and building up public support

There are 20 initiatives to ensure these targets are met. While most of these initiatives are new, 7 of them are brought forward from GTP 1.0, while another had already been implemented ahead of time under GTP 1.0. The GTP 2.0 initiatives are:

1. To establish a Special Committee on Corruption to answer questions on MACC Annual Report in Parliament.

2. To establish an MACC Executive Review Committee to jointly evaluate corruption cases with the Deputy Public Prosecutor.

3. To establish an MACC Project Management Office on Prevention to find ways to improve preventative measures.

4. To monitor the performance of the enforcement agencies’ Compliance Unit.

5. To monitor Corruption Offender Database. Details of offender should be uploaded within 2 weeks of conviction.

6. To enhance Corporate Integrity System Malaysia (CISM) to streamline eligibility, assessment and reporting procedures.

7. To streamline MACC Oversight Committees to enable information sharing between all 5 committees.

8. To prosecute corruption cases within 1 year

9. To improve political financing governance framework

10. To insert a Corporate Liability Provision into the MACC Act

11. To fast-track access to the Auditor General’s Performance Audit Report for immediate action

12. To establish an Action Committee on AG Report to facilitate information sharing between the AG and the MACC

13. To set up an Auditor General online dashboard highlighting outstanding issues in AG Report

14. To establish the Putrajaya Inquisition chaired by PM to bring outstanding issues to a closure

15. To implement comprehensive Integrity Pact for PPP projects

16. To upgrade MyProcurement Portal to enable it to integrate with related procurement portals.

17. To establish Guidelines for middle-man/lobbyist.

18. To set up Corruption Prevention Secretariats in Teacher’s Training Colleges

19. To provide anti-corruption training for Members of Parliament.

20. To incorporate anti-corruption element in school text books.

21. To establish a Central Asset Management Corporation (CamCorp) which will be entrusted to manage all assets which have been confiscated by the government.

Fourteen of these initiatives are expected to be in place by the end of this year. These Big Wins are the:

1. Special Committee on Corruption to answer question concerning the MACC Annual Report in Parliament.

2. MACC Executive Review Committee

3. Project Management Office on Prevention

4. Monitoring of Compliance Units activities

5. Monitoring of Corruption Offender Database

6. Corporate Integrity System Malaysia

7. Streamlining of MACC Oversight Bodies

8. Complete prosecution of corruption cases within 1 year

9. Fast-tracking access to AG Performance Audit Report for immediate action

10. Action Committee on AG Report

11. Auditor General’s online Dashboard

12. Putrajaya Inquisition

13. Corruption Prevention Secretariat at

Teacher’s Training Colleges (completed in 2012)

14. Anti-corruption training for MPs

By: Mohd Azhar Ibrahim