MALAYSIA
The officer in charge of the Malaysian Public Service Department (PSD) says those who habitually offer bribes to get what they want from the Government should be the targets of a crackdown.
PSD Director-General, Borhan Dolah (pictured) said the bribe givers were the “host of the virus” and efforts by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to combat corruption in the Public Service could not succeed until these people were stamped out.
MACC statistics from 2014 to June this year show that graft is rampant among PS employees, who make up 46.3 per cent of the 4,860 people arrested for graft in the period.
Most of the offences were committed by staff handling procurement.
“If we educate the public not to give bribes, then there won’t be a culture of accepting bribes,” Datuk Seri Borhan said.
The MACC survey revealed that 22.1 per cent of respondents in the public sector said they were willing to accept bribes if they were in a position of power.
Datuk Seri Borhan said the Government had been active in raising awareness to keep the public sector free of corruption.
“There are plans — quick wins within six months and long-term actions under the Public Service Reform Plan,” he said.
“With technological advancements, we can decrease the likelihood of people giving money under the table to our officers to ensure their documents are ready on time.”
Datuk Seri Borhan said corrupt officers should be stripped of their positions, with no interference from higher officials.
“We must have patience and work towards a cleaner Malaysia,” he said.
Kuala Lumpur, 2 September 2019
