Firms to be punished for workers’ corrupt acts

Pemandu says an amendment to the MACC Act is on the cards.

PETALING JAYA: The government will add a provision to the MACC Act to make companies liable for the corrupt acts of their employees, according to the Prime Minister’s Department.

A statement from the department’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) said this would be one of the initiatives to be carried out under the second phase of the Government Transformation Programme, or GTP 2.0.

The statement did not say when the required amendment to the MACC Act would be tabled in Parliament, but indicated that it would be preceded by efforts to encourage companies to sign the Corporate Integrity Pledge (CIP) and develop their own anti-corruption programmes.

“The CIP is a precursor to the future enactment of a corporate liability provision under the MACC Act,” it said.

“This is a necessary impetus needed to create the environment the rakyat seeks for a corruption-free society.”

The statement also mentioned a plan to upgrade the government’s MyProcurement portal to “ensure greater transparency and accountability” in government procurement.

“The improvements in MyProcurement will result in the online publication of results on direct negotiation deals and details of government procurements such as advertisements of quotation and tender as well as tender documents and results,” it said.

The statement said Pemandu chief Idris Jala was happy with Malaysia’s improved ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. Malaysia this year moved to the 54th spot on the index from last year’s 60th spot.

“However,” the statement quoted Idris as saying, “the government will not be resting on its laurels. We will continue to tackle corruption with necessary reforms and … anti-corruption programmes for both the private and public sectors.”