THE public sector scored zero out of four questions about preventing undue influence in the civil service, according to a report launched by Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) today.

The Business Integrity Country Agenda Assessment Report involved three main stakeholders – the public sector, private sector, and civil society – targeted to provide a foundation for action and reform.

Questions on whether political contributions from the private sector to political parties and/or individuals, as well as private sector lobbying, were monitored or prohibited by law had scored zero, giving the average category “Prohibiting Undue Influence” an average score of zero.

Other questions included laws, enforcement, and public disclosure of other conflicts of interest.

TI-M president Akhbar Satar said the report was done cautiously.

“This is a suggestion. If the law (on political funding) is not implemented, then how can we give good marks?” he said at Kuala Lumpur today, adding that the report would be submitted to the government soon.

The assessment report also included recommendations mostly targeted at the Malaysian-Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).

The short-term recommendations included Parliament expediting the amendment of the MACC Act 2009 by incorporating a corporate liability clause into the Act.

It stated the Act should be amended to include provisions on conflicts of interest among public officials, which were currently governed by service circulars.

The amendment should also compel an individual in certain circumstances to declare his/her finances or assets without MACC initiating a formal corruption investigation, it said.

It also recommended for the graftbusters to target a 95% annual success rate in the conviction of bribery cases in the Special Corruption Session Court.

In the long term, it said, MACC should be funded by Parliament to remain fully independent.

Recommendations made for the private sector included working closely with MACC on anti-corruption programmes.

As for civil society organisations, the report recommended that the Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984 be revised to welcome the development of independent and free media.

It also recommended for the government to deregulate the media industry to enable the development of a free press.

In a response to MACC deputy chief commissioner for operations Azam Baki’s comment yesterday, in which he cited a case where a ministry “lost” 40% of its funds because of leakages, Akhbar said Malaysia should set up an oversight committee to rectify the problem.

“The problem here in Malaysia, I fear, is that they (ministries) will still put in their own people even if we create an oversight committee. We are wasting money and energy. We are facing an integrity crisis,” he said. – March 13, 2018.