SIX out of 10 complaints received by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission between 2013 and 2018 involved the public services sector.

In contrast, corruption in the private sector was recorded only at 17.06% during the same period.

The National Anti-Corruption Plan report, launched earlier today, said 42.8% of the complaints received by MACC are on public procurement, enforcement personnel (23.9%) and licensing and permits (8.6%).

Other complaints are on taxes (8.1%), administration (13.4%), businesses and industries (1.2%) and the judiciary (0.9%).

The report, which was launched by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said the public service sector is the most vulnerable. 

Other high-risk areas that tend to attract corrupt practices include politics, public procurement, legal and judiciary, enforcement and corporate administration.

The main causes for corruption, said a MACC analysis during that period, are because of weaknesses in the administration (36.43%), conflict of interests (33.12%), weak internal controls (18.97%) and lack of transparency (6.45%).

The report also states that among the hindrances to combat corruption in Malaysia are political interference in the administration and financial management of the country, lack of political will, free and fair enforcement agencies and light punishment.

The NACP report said between 2005 and 2014, Malaysia lost RM1.8 trillion to corruption.

The report said 57% of Malaysians, surveyed by Transparency International for the Global Corruption Barometer in 2017, revealed that police were the most corrupt. 

Next on the list are local government (48%), public servants (45%) and politicians (41%). Judges and religious leaders were not spared as they were said to be corrupt at 33% and 31% respectively.

The survey of 1,009 people found that 23% of Malaysians confessed to paying bribes in 2016. – January 29, 2019.