PETALING JAYA (Dec 3, 2013): Malaysia has crept up
one slot in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index
(CPI) rankings but remains in the average range, indicating that
graft-fighting measures efforts are still inadequate.
Malaysia scored 50, ranking 53 out of 177 countries surveyed compared to last year’s score of 49 and rank of 54 out of 176 countries.
Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Akhbar Satar said the level of corruption in Malaysia has not decreased significantly and urged the government to implement stronger anti-graft measures.
“We are heading on the right track, but the government must work harder; there needs to be more high profile cases, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) needs to be more efficient,” Akhbar said after launching the CPI today.
Other countries with similar ranking and score with Malaysia include Turkey, Costa Rica, Hungary, Bahrain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and etc.
Among Asean member countries, Malaysia grabs the third spot behind Brunei and Singapore, which holds the second and first position respectively.
The five countries that top the CPI are Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Singapore, while the bottom five are Somalia, North Korea, Afghanistan, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Akhbar recommends that the government restore public confidence by going after high-ranking officials, improving transparency by repealing gag laws such as the Official Secrets Act and Section 203A of the Penal Code Amendment.
He also recommended that the MACC be given more independence, resources, and that the MACC Act be amended so the agency can pursue cases without fear or favour.
Commenting on the score, former TI-M president Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said the results do not reflect what the Performance Management Delivery Unit (Pemandu) has done to combat corruption.
“Pemandu seems to be doing a lot to fight corruption but there seems to be a disconnect with the CPI; the (CPI) score is abysmal,” he said.
Pemandu director D. Ravindran agreed that the score is “clearly not good enough” but explained that time-lag may have contributed to the poor scoring.
He said the Finance Ministry has begun disclosing direct negotiation contracts on the internet but TI-M has yet to receive the information.
However, he also pointed that fighting corruption is getting increasingly difficult as they are “doing the right things”.
Malaysia scored 50, ranking 53 out of 177 countries surveyed compared to last year’s score of 49 and rank of 54 out of 176 countries.
Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Akhbar Satar said the level of corruption in Malaysia has not decreased significantly and urged the government to implement stronger anti-graft measures.
“We are heading on the right track, but the government must work harder; there needs to be more high profile cases, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) needs to be more efficient,” Akhbar said after launching the CPI today.
Other countries with similar ranking and score with Malaysia include Turkey, Costa Rica, Hungary, Bahrain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and etc.
Among Asean member countries, Malaysia grabs the third spot behind Brunei and Singapore, which holds the second and first position respectively.
The five countries that top the CPI are Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Singapore, while the bottom five are Somalia, North Korea, Afghanistan, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Akhbar recommends that the government restore public confidence by going after high-ranking officials, improving transparency by repealing gag laws such as the Official Secrets Act and Section 203A of the Penal Code Amendment.
He also recommended that the MACC be given more independence, resources, and that the MACC Act be amended so the agency can pursue cases without fear or favour.
Commenting on the score, former TI-M president Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said the results do not reflect what the Performance Management Delivery Unit (Pemandu) has done to combat corruption.
“Pemandu seems to be doing a lot to fight corruption but there seems to be a disconnect with the CPI; the (CPI) score is abysmal,” he said.
Pemandu director D. Ravindran agreed that the score is “clearly not good enough” but explained that time-lag may have contributed to the poor scoring.
He said the Finance Ministry has begun disclosing direct negotiation contracts on the internet but TI-M has yet to receive the information.
However, he also pointed that fighting corruption is getting increasingly difficult as they are “doing the right things”.
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