NGO Urges Govt To Reform MACC Before It’s Too Late

The Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4), an anti-corruption non-governmental organisation (NGO) in an open letter to the Malaysian government said that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) needs to undergo an “urgent reform” to restore its credibility and independence.

The NGO had suggested some reform measures that the government ought to implement to rectify the situation now before the country slides further down the “slope of destruction”.

Among the measures suggested were to set up an independent probe involving experts in financial crime, and these experts must be outside the MACC and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), as well as not in any way connected to both the institutions.

In addition, C4 also urge the law minister, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar to prioritise the reforms to the MACC by adopting the suggestions made in their 2015 joint memorandum with the Malaysian Bar.

The details of the memorandum are attached in the link here.

The NGO also calls for an amendment to the MACC Act to enable the creation of an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission.

C4 also suggested that the MACC advisory board to play a key role and cooperate fully in assisting any independent investigation into the alleged transgressions by the agency’s officers.

“All these investigations and possible prosecution must also be speeded up to ensure such incidents do not occur again.” C4 said.

C4 also cited the recent corruption cases where a senior MACC officer was arrested over the allegations of theft involving US$6 million cash held as evidence in former spy chief Hasanah Ab Hamid’s case. The police later discovered that the officer was also involved in drug trafficking offences.

On Thursday (21 October), 2 MACC officers in Johor were charged in the Sessions Court for cheating an enforcement officer to hand over RM40,000 to “settle” a case in their agency’s investigation.

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