The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Only 12 out of the estimated 1.2 million civil servants were sacked rather than disciplined in 2009 in graft-related cases investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in its first year of operations.

According to documents made available to The Malaysian Insider, the MACC had forwarded 235 reports to the heads of government departments and agencies for disciplinary action in 2009.

However the MACC received feedback for only 182 cases, of which 90 or 49 per cent were given administrative warning.

And only 12 or 6.6 per cent of the public officials under probe were dismissed in 2009 although the MACC’s prosecution unit had sought disciplinary action be taken against the perpetrators.

MACC had also recommended that the government take a more proactive approach in its crusade against any breach of conduct in the country’s bloated public service.

MACC also criticised department and agency disciplinary boards for imposing penalties that were not specified in the Regulation 38 of the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) General Orders 1993.

The documents also revealed that only 404 MACC officers have declared their assets even though it was stipulated by the Service Circular No. 3 of 2002 for all public officials to declare their assets.

From the 404, only four from the Top Management Group has revealed their assets.

The documents also revealed that the federal government had approved infrastructure development projects worth more than RM600 million for the MACC in 2009.

The allocation was to fund 12 MACC complexes throughout the country as the MACC believes that it would better facilitate public complaints and ensure confidentiality of information.

The fund also include RM24 million set aside for procurement of computers and the development of MACC’s broadband infrastructure in the country.

According to the documents made available, the largest project is the RM58 million construction of Phase II of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy Complex which began in May last year.

While the RM19 million MACC Pahang State Office Complex, which began construction in November 2008, had to be reapplied under the 10th Malaysian Plan as the appointed contractor had failed to complete the project according to schedule.

The government has approved RM14 million for land acquisition in Sarawak, Sabah and Perlis. While MACC engaged in a land swap deal with Royal Malaysian Navy and the Ministry of Defence for their office complex in Labuan.

The rest of the projects include the construction of staff quarters worth in Penang (RM12 million), Kelantan State office (RM25 million), Pahang State office (RM19 million), Perak State office (RM23 million), Kuala Lumpur MACC complex (RM25 million), Malacca state office (RM23 million) and Johor state office (RM32 million.)