Malaysia not facing a corruption crisis, says MACC bigwig

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Datuk Mustafar Ali

Datuk Mustafar Ali

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has stressed that Malaysia is not facing a corruption crisis as claimed by the international participants at the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC).

In making this stand, MACC deputy chief commissioner (prevention) Datuk Mustafar Ali said such claims were untrue and merely views or perceptions of the participants.

“When they raise their concern (on this issue), perhaps they do not have the facts. But, we are serious in tackling the corruption efficiently and diligently,” he told a press conference at the closing of the three-day conference, here yesterday.

On Thursday, MACC panel chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim has criticised Transparency-International chair José Ugaz on his views on Malaysia, that the nation was facing a corruption crisis following the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) issue.

On the opening day speech by Ugaz, he said Malaysians were experiencing corruption crisis following the ‘unresolved RM2.6 billion in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s account.

On the conference, Mustafar said the IACC was very successful and had achieved its objectives as Malaysia had shared its 23 best practices and mechanism as well as learnt about tackling corruption from 138 nations and more than 1,200 participants.

Besides, he said several nations like Armenia, Senegal, Bhutan, Mongolia, Pakistan and Iran had expressed interests to work together with Malaysia in adopting Malaysia’s practices in fighting corruption immediately.

“The conference has created a strong partnership and cooperation among experts, both locally and internationally and participants said the 16th IACC is one of the very encouraging and among the best ever held,” he said.

Mustafar said the Putrajaya Declaration, which would be adopted at the end of the IACC, would be brought to the United Nations Conventions Against Corruption (UNCAC) for further action. — Bernama