KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) requires a complete overhaul to free itself from issues and scandals stemming from tainted personnel.
Former foreign minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said this was important to restore people's trust and faith in the high-profile public agency.
As the first step in this direction, he urged its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki to take full responsibility and step down pending an investigation into the recent allegation levelled against him.
"The problem with Malaysia is that we don't understand the need to resign to save the party or the government or the organisation. We don't seem to have this culture yet.
"In the West, although they have all kinds of problems on morality and ethics, they have high standards and clear values that if a person is tainted in any way, they leave.
"If they are speaking the truth and are not involved (in any allegation), then they have to prove themselves (to be clean) and make a comeback in an honourable way.
"Here, we allow issues to linger unaddressed or by simply denying the obvious, which only worsens the situation.
"In this case, it would be the right thing for him (Azam), his name, image and reputation, as well as for the organisation and the country, to step down to prove that he is clean.
"In doing so, he (Azam) is not saying he is guilty, but he needs to prove his innocence and you cannot do that if you are inside the organisation that has been tainted by you," he told the New Sunday Times.
Failing to do, Syed Hamid said Azam must be suspended pending investigations to restore the agency's image.
Syed Hamid, who is also WIEF Foundation chairman and the former Land Public Transport Commission (Spad) chairman, further criticised the anti-graft agency for its poor handling of the case.
"MACC is handling it very badly, which is damaging to its image with regard to public expectation, which requires it to uphold integrity, honesty and a high degree of respect to the law while making sure this country is free from corruption.
"The damage is so great that it calls for a total reset and no longer about (image) rebranding. The government has to make some drastic changes and it must not be related to anybody that is tainted. To be in a position of trust, or want to be in a position of trust, you must be seen as whiter than white.
"And when the person affected (Azam) is capable of answering (to the allegation) himself, he must answer instead of having the public hear from other members. MACC must have a high degree of responsibility and accountability together with a sense of justice, honesty and integrity."
Syed Hamid stressed that public opinion was key to the survival of any political system, which agencies and the government should be sensitive and responsive towards.
"It is important for those in power or in a position of power to manage public opinion and perception well. (Any negative issues or allegations) must be tackled immediately.
"So if there is anything that the public has raised or created public unhappiness or irritation, we cannot allow it to linger thinking it will go away by itself because it will not.
"The longer you wait to respond or react to it, it will not only tarnish, but will damage the government's reputation and image, and it creates not only apathy but also anger."
Therefore, Syed Hamid said if anything was seen by the public as not right, people in power should address it with communication, which is a core and fundamental element in forming opinion and perception in today's world.
"Public forms opinion now quite quickly and they do not also accept denial without evidence."
Anthropologist and sociologist Professor Dr Kamaruddin M. Said warned that unchecked corruption could cause serious damage, turning Malaysia into a perceived failed state.
Therefore, he said it was highly critical for the government and the agencies responsible to check thoroughly the integrity issues related to the MACC.
He said given recent developments, it was time to transform the anti-graft entity to restore people's trust and faith in the agency.
"Malaysia is not a failed state yet. But if the whole system of federal and state governance in Malaysia is not strategically and sincerely transformed, soon this country will be labelled as a failed state by the world community.
"I am talking about corruption here, that unchecked corruption will turn this country into a failed and shameful state.
"Corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy and governance, hampers economic development and exacerbates socio-economic inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis. A failed state fails in all these."
He said a high-profile government agency like MACC and a few other could play a significant role in upholding the good image of Malaysia, away from the notion of a failed state.
Kamaruddin also said exposing corruption and holding the corrupt parties accountable could only happen if there was a morally strong government with an equally strong political will.
This would enable a strategic agency like the MACC to be fully empowered, with clear understanding of how corruption works, along with the governing systems and sub-system that enable it.
A weak and unstable state, morally and politically, would not be able to deal with this pandemic of corruption, as well as issues related to anti-corruption agencies, he said.
"We know that corruption can take many forms, and can include behaviour like public servants demanding or taking money or favours in exchange for services; politicians misusing public money or granting public jobs or contracts to their sponsors, friends and families; corporations bribing officials to get lucrative deals.
"And corruption can happen anywhere, in business, government, the courts, the media, and in civil society, as well as across all sectors from health and education to infrastructure and sports.
"It can involve anyone, politicians, government officials, public servants,
business people or members of the public."
Kamaruddin added that the MACC therefore had to be morally very strong and supported by a strong and stable government, with uncompromising political will. - NST
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