Support group records highest involvement in corruption - MACC

The support group was the main contributor to the rise in corruption cases in the civil service in 2019, said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Deputy Chief Commissioner (Prevention), Datuk Shamshun Baharin Mohd Jamil.

He said 387 out of 525 arrests made last year involved members of the support group.

"Besides the support group, the service group comprises the top management group as well as the management and professional group.

"The arrests also involved 121 individuals from the management and professional group, while another 17 were from the top management group," he told Bernama.

Shamshun Baharin added that more than 1,000 arrests were made last year involving individuals from various sectors.

"It was shocking. The MACC had never made such a high number of arrests. The highest number recorded previously was 944 arrests in 2010," he said.

Shamshun Baharin said in addressing civil servants' involvement in corruption, it was crucial to give emphasis to the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) 2019-2023 with the involvement of the education sector.

"This is important in order to create abhorrence of corruption from an early age," he said.

Shamshun Baharin also urged the government to carry out a study and issue a circular on corruption involving civil servants.

"The module is already there but the circular must be issued by the central agency, as the MACC cannot issue such a circular.

"The NACP was drawn up following the trend in the civil service whereby the MACC statistics showed that the sector is more prone to corruption," he said.

The NACP was launched early this year in an effort to create a nation with integrity and free of corruption.

-- BERNAMA