MACC to become lean and mean

Undercover probe part of the new plan

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) is in the midst of drafting a plan to transform and improve its operational, preventive and human resource aspects in order to combat corruption more effectively.

MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull said the plan was set to be implemented from next year.

Speaking to Bernama, he said operation-wise, new investigation approaches would be introduced to optimise investigations and use of experts.

The proposed approaches include intelligence-based investigation, asset tracing, financial analysis-based investigation and undercover investigation.

The transformation of the human resource aspect will involve changes related to the restructuring of posts, deployment of officers based on their skills and academic qualifications, and recruitment of experts in specific sectors.

“As for the preventive aspect, the changes include the introduction of new initiatives such as corporate integrity pledge, corruption risk management, inspection activities and advisory services that focus on issues that are of concern to the people,” he said.

Mohd Shukri also urged the government to seriously consider introducing caning as a penalty for corruption.

“(Caning) is necessary because corruption is the ‘mother’ of all crimes. Corruption leads to many other crimes such as cheating, robbery, illegal immigrants, smuggling, gambling and distribution of illicit liquor,” he said.

Mohd Shukri said if cheating offenders could be subject to caning, the same punishment should also apply to those convicted of graft. Under the MACC Act 2009, bribery offenders face a maximum 20-year jail sentence and a fine.

Mohd Shukri said corrupt practices occurred simply because of the availability of wide space and opportunities.

“Greed and lack of integrity are also contributive factors,” he said, adding that statistics showed civil servants made up the bulk of offenders.

From January to November this year, those arrested comprised 421 civil servants, 213 members of the public, 175 private sector employees, 23 government-linked company staff and 43 from other sectors.

During the same period, MACC arrested 821 people and produced 280 people in court. So far this year, it secured 196 convictions.

“History was created this year when prominent people were detained and prosecuted,” Mohd Shukri said.

The 1Malaysia Development Bhd case, dubbed as the biggest financial scandal in the world, is naturally the largest ever case MACC has investigated, which saw former premier Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak facing 25 charges.

Pointing out that the smallest graft case involved a policeman, who had accepted a bribe of RM20, Mohd Shukri said the value of the bribe was immaterial.

“We’ve to look at it more widely because of the implications of such an act. A crime is a crime, whether one is accepting a bribe or involved in prostitution, illegal gambling or smuggling firearms,” he said.

The MACC’s corruption preventive programme is among the strategic measures it has taken to instil an anti-corruption mindset into targeted groups such as youth.

Since 2007, MACC has also been setting up corruption preventive secretariats at public institutions of higher learning nationwide.