Press Statement by TI-Malaysia President, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam supporting the Chief Secretary to the Government’s statement that action will be taken against those implicated in the Auditor-General’s report

TI-Malaysia strongly supports the Chief Secretary, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan's statement that firm action including court action and / or disciplinary action will be taken against the government officers responsible for malpractices and corrupt practices as highlighted in the Auditor-General's 2006 Report and other reports and investigations.

We believe that the government should fully explain to the Rakyat the measures taken to ensure that there is accountability and prudent management of tax revenue.

A strong message must go out to all concerned that the government will brook no corrupt practices and mismanagement.

The rules of ethical behaviour should be practised and upheld.

The objectives of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and the Clients' Charter must be met.

We note the many positive measures recommended by review bodies such as PEMUDAH and ask that these good recommendations be fully implemented without delay.

All good initiatives must be made public so that the Malaysian public understand and appreciate the good work.

We also welcome Tan Sri Mohd. Sidek's statement that action taken will be made public.

The public should be kept informed as to the number of cases where action was taken and the results of investigations.

In this connection, it is encouraging to note that the ACA had invoked Section 32 of the Anti-corruption Act and taken action in a recent case of a lawyer alleged to have committed malpractices. We hope this provision will be used more often as an effective measure against civil servants who had amassed wealth beyond their means.

Tan Sri Sidek's present initiative could well be a special Hari Raya gift to the Rakyat including the 1.2 million civil servants because if these measures prove effective, they will improve public confidence, and bolster the self respect ("maruah") of the entire civil service at this festive time of the year.

We wish all supporters of the fight against corruption "Selamat Hari Raya" and hope these new initiatives will bring about a new era in the fight against corruption.

TI-Malaysia will continue to support the government's noble fight against corruption and will continue to collaborate closely with agencies such as ACA and IIM in the quest to build a corrupt-free Malaysia.

For any press enquiries please contact

Tan Sri (Dr) Ramon V. Navaratnam, President
T: 019 261 2288

Assoc. Prof Mohd Ali Hasan, Deputy President
T: 019 389 7179

Richard Yeoh, Executive Director
T: 012 302 8801