ABOUT 60% of 1,000 Malaysians Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) surveyed last year’s said the corruption level in the country had increased. 

The anti-graft watchdog’s chairman Akhbar Satar said the survey was conducted with residents from urban and rural areas. 

“When we posed the question ‘what do they think about corruption’ the answer we received was the level is still high. 

“We also asked them about the corruption rate and the unresolved scandals in the country and received the same response,” he said during a forum titled “Malaysia a corrupt country: Facts or Propaganda” organised by Institut Darul Ehsan in Shah Alam today.

Akbar also said the main reason Malaysians are not reporting corruption is because 15% are afraid of the consequences. 

“About 12% think nothing will be done, while another 12% don’t know how to report it. Another 10% don’t know where to report.”

Akbar said their concern is if nothing is done to address the issues, then thefts of public funds will go unpunished and cases will not be solved. 

“Among the unresolved cases are 1Malaysia Development Board (1MDB) and Felda. 

“There is also the issue of political financing law, corporate liability provision in the MACC Act still pending and injustice to whisleblowers.”

When asked about Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) director Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd being investigated over money deposited into his account in Australia, Akbar said they will wait until investigations are concluded. 

“We don’t have the facts, so let them (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commision) investigate. 

“Let them carry out their work fairly and without fear or favour.”

Deputy chief commissioner (operations) Azam Baki said MACC opened a file after a whistleblower lodged a report on Monday. 

He said the commission’s investigation officers would head to the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman and liaise with Australian police to get more information on the case. 

Malaysian police have stood by Wan Ahmad Najmuddin, with Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun saying the CID director’s money was from the sale of his house in Shah Alam, worth RM700,000, and he had friends make cash transfers to his Australian account.

Fuzi said Wan Ahmad Najmuddin had provided adequate justification for the need to acquire an overseas account for the purpose of funding his children’s education. – March 8, 2018.