The True Cost of Corruption – Everyone Loses

By Md Ikhram

As we brace ourselves for an impending election and speculate over who will emerge victorious, I think it may be apt for us thinking Malaysians to ponder our role in creating a Malaysia that is equitable. The sketchy approach, the approach that most of us may be subscribing to is, change the government and we’ll have a better Malaysia. I deliberately say “sketchy approach’ because it is not an entirely wrong approach, just incomplete.

Creating a nation that is equitable to all, regardless of race and creed, is every Malaysian’s responsibility and it is not enough to vote out one government in exchange for another. Yes, on an elementary level, a strong two-party system could be exactly what we need. We need to get rid of politicians intoxicated with power, money, and greed – inevitable results of staying too long in power. Voting out UMNO and its cohorts in the BN could resuscitate our country and provide the momentum we need to drive real change. But that is only one half of the equation.

The other half is us; you and I.

Great people inspire change by becoming the change they want to be. Our responsibility in effecting a change goes beyond casting our vote. It includes changing certain behavior and attitudes that are deeply rooted in our psyche. So deeply rooted, that some of them though despicable, have become the norm. One such case in point is corruption. I would like to bring your attention to this pestilence and humbly submit that curing our wounded nation from this disease will be a catalyst towards a more just Malaysia.

When it comes to corruption, the big picture eludes most of us. Money exchanging hands between a police officer and a traffic offender has no dire repercussions, does it? Most of us think it doesn’t but nothing can be further from the truth. There is the butterfly effect here.

Corruption allows criminals to operate without fear. Crime bosses have nothing to fear as long as the law can be bought. It means that Ah Longs can walk into your house and hurt your poor family for a missing relative's debt without reprimand.

Corruption breeds incompetence. The corrupted feel no compulsion to perform their jobs if there is no money offering. It could mean that you have to wait 1 hour for the police to come to your rescue when your house is being robbed. It could mean that you cannot get fair treatment unless you’re rich. It could mean that you have to live with potholes and sub-standard roads even in your posh, urban neighborhood.

Corruption raises the cost of enterprise. Government and businesses end-up paying above market prices for goods and services. Someone has to pay for this additional cost and inevitably it comes out of your pocket in the form of higher prices or higher costs.

Corruption puts lives in danger. If you’ve been privy to the local news, you must know of schools, stadiums, and bridges collapsing. You would know of sub-standard hospitals and military helicopters. Corruption means innocent people get harmed by the very institutions founded to protect them.

The cost of corruption to you and me is high and it affects everyone. If you’re ever tempted to engage in corruption, even for business opportunities, remember that it comes back to bite you in so many other ways, that in the end it is just not worth it.

Recently, the government allocated RM 530 million to give school students a one-off RM 100 aid. Of this amount, RM 50 million went to private school students. Private schools? One cannot be faulted for wondering if this was a gross misuse of the tax payer’s money for political expediency. This is happening when there are schools that cannot afford to pay their electricity bills because of a lack of funds from the government.

Nearly RM 500 million was paid as commission to Perimekar for the purchase of submarines. Schools could have used those funds. In fact, every teacher in Malaysia could have received a RM 3,433 raise with the combined allocation for the one-off school aid and submarine commission. More competent individuals would become teachers with wages like that and your children would not have to go to private schools.

RM 250 million was allocated for the NFC and according to reports I’m reading, over RM 20 million has been spent in luxury condominiums. The NFC is supposed to be committed to helping farmers and entrepreneurs in the local cattle industry. How many deserving farmers and entrepreneurs were neglected in this spending spree? It could be you, an uncle, or a friend.

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. Much, much more is wasted every year at the expense of your children’s education, your right to equal justice, competitive wages, and your lives.

Will a change in government fix this problem? Maybe. But a change in our attitudes towards corruption will certainly do more good. We need to understand that for corruption to work there must be two parties; the corrupt and the corrupter. We need to focus on the big picture. Let’s treat corruption with the same disdain we accord to murder because at some point, corruption can lead to loss of lives.

Let’s have zero tolerance towards corruption. No matter if it is a RM 10 bribe for a parking offense. Send a strong message. When someone you know engages in corruption, whatever the scale, frown upon him. Make it socially unacceptable. Educate your children on the cost of corruption. Let anyone, be it a Minister or clerk, face humiliation and rejection by their own social circle when they indulge in corruption.

It may be idealistic to expect that the overwhelming majority of Malaysians will one day reject corruption fully and abhor it on any scale. However, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, and if this essay inspires a single person to say no to corruption, then we’re one step closer. Perhaps when there is enough momentum, any government we elect will be free of corruption and we as citizens of this country will have truly brought about change for the better.

A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the souls of its people – M.K Gandhi