Malaysia’s stagnant corruption ranking: Has Anwar’s ‘reformasi’ turned into ‘reformati’?

 

MALAYSIA’S s latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranking tells a disappointing story – one of stagnation. Despite all the grand rhetoric about reform, our score remains at 50 while our global standing at 57.

Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) in announcing the outcome yesterday (Feb 11) has pointed to two main culprits: (I) the slow pace of reforms; and (ii) the Madani government’s handling of high-profile corruption cases, particularly the increasing trend of discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) decisions.

For a government that rode into power on the promise of battling corruption, this should be a wake-up call. Instead, it feels like BAU a.k.a. business as usual.

When Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was granted a DNAA (discharge not amounting to acquittal) in September 2023 for all 47 corruption charges tied to Yayasan Akalbudi, Malaysians were told to trust the legal process.

Then, in November 2024, former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak and former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah received their own DNAA for charges involving RM6.6 bil in government funds.

Reforms also stagnated?

Again, the Madani government distanced itself from the decision but public perception had already been cemented – political elites still get off the hook just as they always have.

TI-M president Dr Muhammad Mohan himself acknowledged that these DNAA cases likely played a role in Malaysia’s stagnant CPI score.

While the government insists that these are legal matters and not political interference, the question remains: Why do corruption cases involving high-profile figures seem to end in legal limbo rather than accountability?

Is Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption fizzling out?

If DNAA decisions weren’t bad enough, the Madani government has also been sluggish in enacting critical institutional reforms. The amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 which should have been an easy win remain stuck.

Even TI-M expressed frustration by labelling the law as “one of the lowest-hanging fruits”. Meanwhile, the long-promised Freedom of Information Act has been delayed again with a vague assurance that it will be tabled in Parliament by July.

These are not minor delays. They are symptoms of a government that talks about reform but is hesitant to push through meaningful change.

If the government was truly serious about fighting corruption, strengthening whistleblower protections and guaranteeing public access to information would have been at the top of the priority list. Instead, we are left waiting.

For years, Anwar positioned himself as Malaysia’s anti-corruption crusader. His political career post-UMNO – from the original reformasi movement to his eventual elevation as Prime Minister – was built on the promise of a cleaner, more accountable government.

Yet, after more than two years in power, we are still seeing high-profile corruption cases fizzle out, crucial reforms stalled and Malaysia’s anti-corruption standing going nowhere.

The CPI stagnation is not just a ranking – it is a reflection of the public’s growing disillusionment. Anwar’s government still has time to correct the course but patience is running thin.

If his administration continues to move at this glacial pace, the biggest casualty won’t just be Malaysia’s CPI score – it will be the credibility of the very man who once stood as the face of reform. – Focus Malaysia