Malaysia records 787 corruption cases from Jan to July 2023

Awang Tengah (centre) officiates at the event. From left are Zainal, Abdullah, Jack, Len Talif, Zaidi, and Abang Ahmad.

KUCHING (Sept 15): A total of 787 corruption cases were recorded nationwide from in the first seven months of this year, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

He said the statistics from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) website showed 308 cases involved civil servants of various ranks and 479 cases involved the public.

“It is our hope that there will be no further increase in cases involving public servants this year,” Awang Tengah said during the Natural Resources and Environment Board’s (NREB) Integrity Day 2023 today.

The Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development said there is growing concern about issues related to the integrity of public servants, with reports of power abuse, breach of trust, corruption, and misconduct.

He pointed out Malaysia ranks second after Singapore in the Asean region under Transparency International Malaysia’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

“Malaysia’s CPI for 2022 decreased to 47 points compared to 48 points in 2021. This places Malaysia at 61st position globally.

“In the Asean region, Malaysia ranks second, after Singapore, which holds the fifth position worldwide.

“The score of 47 is concerning and calls for more effective actions from the government and stakeholders,” he said.

He praised NREB’s efforts in fostering a culture of integrity among its members and the broader Sarawak Civil Service.

“I was made to know that NREB has developed the Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan (OACP) for the years 2021 to 2025 and is reviewed in its third year of implementation this year.

“The revised OACP is believed to be more comprehensive and focused on addressing risks related to priority areas such as enforcement, legal compliance, and environmental governance.

“As a primary agency responsible for achieving environmental sustainability in Sarawak, as outlined in the Post Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, NREB plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance with the law, uncompromised by issues related to integrity, bureaucratic disruptions, and weak systems and procedures,” he stressed.

Additionally, Awang Tengah suggested NREB pursue the ISO 37001:2016 Anti Bribery Management System (ABMS) certification and participate in the 2024 Integrity, Governance and Anti-Corruption Awards (AIGA), which was introduced by the federal government in 2022.

“Participation in this award will serve as a measure of the highest management’s commitment to the statements outlined in the OACP, in the fight against corruption and abuse of power,” he said.

A total of 18 NREB staff from across Sarawak also receiving service excellence awards today.

Among those present were Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh; Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development permanent secretary Datu Zaidi Mahdi; Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability permanent secretary Abang Ahmad Abang Morni; Sarawak controller of environmental quality Jack Liam; Sarawak Land and Survey Department director Datu Abdullah Julaihi; and Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation CEO Zainal Abidin Abdullah.