Unimas students in good spirits despite the drizzle. — Photo by Mohd Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: Students who are caught bribing lecturers or for plagiarism will have to live with this on their record for the rest of their lives.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Integrity Day Celebration at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) on Saturday, Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner (Prevention) Datuk Shamshun Baharin Mohd Jamil said those caught were getting younger.
“We are very concerned about the arrests we made in the last three years: fifty-five per cent of them are under 40 years old,” he told participants of the night run ‘I Run For Integrity’, organised by Unimas Anti-Corruption Secretariat as part of the celebration.
The 5km run attracted 1,730 runners, mostly students. Citing a Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) survey in 2002, he said 30.5 per cent of the students polled said they were willing to accept bribes.
“The issue of integrity and corruption is not to be taken lightly. We have to consider this matter seriously because you all are our future leaders.”
Shamshun said this was one of the reasons why MACC launched anti-corruption secretariats in all public universities as well as in teachers training college, and later training institutes under Mara.
“Integrity is everyone’s problem. If we don’t foster it from now, we will be faced with challenges and opportunities to engage in corruption in the working world.”
He added that many leaders in neighbouring countries fell because of corruption.
“We need to hold many awareness programmes; and at the same time, we hope students can help MACC spread the word on anti-corruption.”
Shamshun said to ensure Malaysia was free of corruption, everyone must work together. It is wrong to depend solely on MACC to get the job done.
Shamshun (third from left), Mohd Fadzil (centre) and Sia (second from right) reacting as confetti rained down after they started the run. — Photo by Mohd Rais Sanusi
On the recent Sabah raid, he said it was among MACC’s largest seizures, and even the graft buster was shocked by the total value involved.
Shamshun was appointed to his post last week: he was director of education previously. The Unimas Anti-Corruption Day Celebration was his first event outside of Putrajaya in his new position.
Also present were Unimas vice-chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni) Prof Mohd Fadzil Abdul Rahman, and Unimas Anti-Corruption Secretariat chief Sia Kar Hong. Sia said the secretariat was nine years old, and they were first runner-up at the public university category for the Best National Anti-Corruption Secretariat 2016.