M`SIA NOT IN DENIAL ON CORRUPTION - DOMPOK

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is not in denial it has a
problem on corruption, both real and perceived.

Had it been in a state of denial, reasoned Minister in the Prime Minister's
Department Bernard Giluk Dompok, the government would not have set up
organisations like the Integrity Institute of Malaysia and the Malaysian
Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC).

Dompok said the government had no reason to be in denial of the menace as
the success of all the nation's development plans and strategies hinged on
professionalism of the delivery system.

"If corruption pervades the system, then targets (of development) would not
have been met, as money lost through leakages in corruption could be used for
constructive purposes to address the never-ending list of infrastructure
projects, long awaited by the people, especially those who live in rural areas,"
he said.

The minister said this in his keynote address at the Malaysian
Anti-Corruption
Summit organised by the Asian Strategic and Leadership Institute (ASLI) here
Monday.

Later, at a press conference, Dompok said while the government and the MACC
focused on the menace of corruption in the running of the government and the
private sector, big political parties should take their own initiative to stamp
out corruption in their respective organisations.

"As far as political parties are concerned, they should start from (within)
the parties themselves to fight this problem. Once the bigger parties put their
foot down on the menace, then others will also follow suit," he added.

He referred to the speech given by United Malays National Organization
(Umno) president Najib Tun Razak at the just-concluded Umno general assembly
where he had said the party was serious in tackling the issue.

"I think this is laudable. Lately, the question of money politics has taken
centre-stage in the media due to the Umno election. What is important is that
the leadership did not go into a state of denial," said Dompok.

On another note, he said the MACC was treading on thin ice and that it was
not supposed to make statements on a certain case, be it pro or anti-government.

"They need to be professional in their duties. MACC has just been set up.
Give them time to move. Give it a chance and wait and see," he added.

He said many cynics had expressed the view that the MACC was just 'old wine
in new bottle' but this notion was wrong as the commission had greater powers
than the old anti-corruption agency.

He said the World Bank Report on the hazardous effects of corruption on the
economy, estimated that leakages due to corruption accounted for five per cent
of the global gross domestic product, or an equivalent to RM2.6 trillion.

"This, therefore, testifies to the fact that corruption is a worldwide
phenomenon and not peculiar to Malaysia," he said.

He said Transparency International 2008 Bribe Payers Index revealed that
Malaysian businesses believed their own companies were highly involved in
corrupt practices, with 42 per cent admitting to bribery of high-ranking
government officials.

"It is imperative therefore, that the fight against corruption must also
involve the private sector. If the private sector continues to condone this
practice, then the fight will be harder and longer," he said.

-- BERNAMA