by Elizabeth Zachariah
The Malaysian Insider
April 29, 2014
Most Malaysians are sceptical of Putrajaya’s efforts to eradicate corruption and practise integrity despite its efforts to pursue such an agenda, an analyst told a forum today.
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) chief executive officer Wan Saiful Wan Jan (pic) said most people were convinced that corruption and abuse of power were still a critical issue in Malaysia despite the government’s initiatives to work on them.
“Corruption is still an issue. So, despite the government’s initiatives, people still feel the country is corrupt.
“There is great scepticism of how serious the government is in pursuing this,” he said at a forum on integrity at the Malaysian Institute of Integrity in Kuala Lumpur.
He said the high level of scepticism of the government’s efforts indicated that it was because there were no real efforts to actually eradicate corruption within the government and its departments and agencies.
“It is just like when the government talked about moderation and set up the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM), which is a very good initiative to take the moderation agenda to an international level,” Wan Saiful said, referring to the think tank mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2010.
“But people are making jokes about GMM. They are saying, why promote moderation outside Malaysia when there are extremists in the country that the government is not doing anything about?”
It is also because we have strong separation of powers (judiciary and executive) as well as a strong culture of apolitical public administration. – Danish Ambassador Nicolai Ruge
Malaysians, he added, are tired of politicians from both sides of the divide who demand accountability but were corrupt themselves.
Other panelists of the forum included Media Prima chairman Datuk Johan Jaafar and the Danish Ambassador to Malaysia Nicolai Ruge, who said an inclusive political culture was one of the reasons why Denmark had the lowest corruption level in the world.
Denmark tied with New Zealand to take the number 1 spot as the least corrupt countries in the world in last year’s Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International, scoring 91 out of 100 points.
Malaysia scored 50 to rank at number 53 out of 177 countries surveyed.
“It is also because we have strong separation of powers (judiciary and executive) as well as a strong culture of apolitical public administration,” he said.
In his speech afterwards, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of governance and integrity Datuk Paul Low said the people are demanding greater accountability and transparency from the government as there is an increased awareness of corruption.
“Expectations are higher than in the past. Especially when a society is placed in desperation where the livelihood of the people is at risk through political oppression and corruption.
“The people are prepared to go to the streets to express their anger and to rise up against a failed regime. We have seen this in the Arab Spring uprising, in Greece and recently in Ukraine,” the former Transparency International-Malaysia president said. – April 29, 2014.
#1 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 29 April 2014 - 8:43 pm
Corruption and Crony capitalism are Regressive Taxes. Thanks to recent academic work, we now have a much better idea of the degree of regressivenes and Its many many times more than previously thought. The longer it goes on, the more its on the backs of those who can least afford it.
Someday the Malays will understand those who oppose it now, a big part of them Chinese, did their patriotic duty and love for this country..
#2 by cemerlang on Tuesday, 29 April 2014 - 11:09 pm
let’s give the benefit of doubt and say you are trying but the more you try, the more you do, the more you think you do the good, the more rojak it becomes
#3 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 30 April 2014 - 8:01 am
When Perkosa-UmnoB/BN’s DNA encodes CORRUPTION, it does not matter how many think tanks hv been formed 2 sanitise Perkosa-UmnoB/BN’s KORUP imej
#4 by Justice Ipsofacto on Wednesday, 30 April 2014 - 9:08 am
We ranked 53 out of 177.
YEAH!!
#5 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 30 April 2014 - 9:08 am
I have to say this: There is no proof that Hudud will lessen corruption,. In fact, its quite clear from Islamic states that have tried Islamic law, the most powerful are EVEN MORE corrupted, the gap between the riches and the poorest EVEN MORE..
#6 by cskok8 on Wednesday, 30 April 2014 - 10:44 pm
Can someone explain how a 1 km extension of the ERL from KLIA to the LCCT cost RM 100 million? Gold plated rails. Also why the need for a third runway when Heathrow only has 2.
#7 by pwcheng on Wednesday, 30 April 2014 - 10:57 pm
“Putrajaya still seen as corrupt, as people sceptical of government’s anti-graft efforts”
Thats the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Can the PM or any BN ministers deny this.
#8 by john on Thursday, 1 May 2014 - 12:19 am
What, seen as !.
Putrajaya is, and will always be corrupt, in particular, since Mammak Kutty.
Only way to rid this Nation of this curse, casted by Mamak, is by means of ABU comes G14.
And after G13, it was like periods /phases of , different ” wayang-kulit shows, spins ” that had been concocted by the minority “government” and Mamak and his clones/macais.
Now, they are focusing on tatics, strategies to weaken or break-up PR before G14 looms ahead.
#9 by Noble House on Thursday, 1 May 2014 - 1:31 am
Corruption? What corruption?
Corruption in Malaysia is in itself an entitlement, where some are more privileged than the others, depending on which side of the bread you buttered. You only need to be a holder of a “Malaysia Excess” Card (by invitation only) that also entitles you to get “out of jail” free!