PETALING JAYA: Transparency International-Malaysia’s (TI-M) 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) global ranking reported that Malaysia, which ranked 62 out of 180 countries, has slid from 57 in 2020.

With fresh financial scandals causing billions of ringgit in losses such as the recent case involving the purchase of the littoral combat ships emerging, it will not be surprising if the country’s CPI ranking declines further in 2022. How will Malaysia overcome this contagious “plague” that is ruining the country?

Criminologist and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) honorary associate professor Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy said children in primary school should be taught about the destructive nature of corruption and the harm that it can cause to an organisation or nation.

He said just like how there are awareness programmes on the ills of crimes such as robbery, drug trafficking and theft, there should be similar awareness programmes on the ills of corruption.

Sundramoorthy said this may eventually create a new generation that steers clear of corruption.

“Many Malaysians believe that if there is a willing giver and a willing taker, it is acceptable (behaviour) and it is not wrong.

“There must be a compulsory module on the ills of corruption at every level of education, at the primary, secondary and tertiary school levels.

“This will educate the young on integrity and how corrupt practices can bring disrepute to a person and destroy nation-building initiatives,” said the academician, who was a former member of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) independent monitoring panel.

He said whistleblowers should be given adequate protections and immunity from any backlash from their superiors, adding that there should be an avenue for middle and lower management staff to channel information on corrupt practices to the relevant authorities.

Sundramoorthy said while there are adequate laws to address corrupt practices, stiffer penalties such as lengthier jail terms with no parole or early release options for those convicted of graft may deter prople from engaging in such practices.

USM policy research director and international studies associate professor Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk agreed with Sundramoorthy, adding that inculcating a high degree of integrity among the younger generation was the best way to eradicate corruption.

“We need to teach them to do the right thing even when nobody is watching. It can be as simple as throwing away rubbish in the proper bins. It might be just a small thing but it can promote the right behaviour in a person,” he told theSun.

He added that another possible move was to turn MACC into a truly independent enforcement agency headed by an individual without any links to political parties and answerable only to Parliament.

“This way he or she will not be biased and public confidence (in the system) can be restored, knowing that MACC does not come under any ministry and operates independently. It can also prove to be another deterrent that prevents corrupt practices,” Azeem said.

Meanwhile, MACC said recently that there were 1,283 cases of individuals who were charged in court for corruption and power abuse last year, adding that out of the total, 292 cases were concluded with a conviction rate of 91%.

Among high-profile cases that led to a conviction was that of former Negri Sembilan mentri besar Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, who was sentenced to six years in jail and fined RM15.45 million last year over nine counts of corruption amounting to RM3 million related to the purchase of the Merdeka Palace Hotel and Suites in Kuching, Sarawak.

Mohd Isa, who was a former Federal Territories minister, was allowed a stay of execution on the sentence by the High Court pending an appeal.

This article first appeared on The Sun Daily.