People stand to gain from good governance, says academic

KUALA LUMPUR: The people will feel more protected under a government that is committed to justice, efficiency and integrity, all of which have a profound impact on their well-being, says an academic.

According to Prof Zaid Ahmad of the Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, any resident or citizen would definitely choose a group of administrators who can offer good and corrupt-free governance.

“Good governance must embody good values in the relationship between the government and the people and it encompasses universal values such as justice, accountability, integrity, efficiency, transparency, responsiveness and inclusivity.

“In Islam, good governance is part of its teaching and a prerequisite for leadership,” he said.

He said this in an interview ahead of the Kuala Lumpur Summit 2019 to be held from Dec 18 to 21.

Discussions at the summit to be chaired by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will be based on several themes that include good governance and integrity.

Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre’s director of corporate governance, Gillian Ng noted that good governance would prompt the right processes and structures being put in place to make the best of people and other resources.

She said when good governance was in place, there would be less wastage in terms of resources and it would prevent funds from being channelled to unnecessary areas.

Anis Yusal Yusoff, deputy director-general of the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption, noted that corruption and uncontrolled debt would see the people suffer and said that was what had happened in some countries.

Hence, preventive measures like Malaysia’s National Anti-Corruption Plan are needed to create a corruption-free society governed by the principles of integrity, accountability, and transparency, he said.

Among the objectives of the summit is to find new and workable solutions to problems afflicting the Muslim world, and improving the state of affairs of Muslims and Muslim nations.

The Kuala Lumpur gathering will also seek ways to rebuild the Islamic civilisation. - FMT