Badul (front row, fourth left) giving the thumbs-up together with MACC Sarawak officers during a group photo with members of the media at the MACC Sarawak Appreciate Night on Monday. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The state saw an increase in arrests related to corruption this year, with 65 arrests recorded as of November compared to only 45 in 2013 and 59 last year.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Sarawak director Datuk Badrul Shah Norman said those arrested this year were 16 staff of government agencies comprising three from Professional and Management Groups and 13 from Support Groups, and 19 were from private companies and 30 were members of the public.
“This year, MACC Sarawak has opened up around 80 investigation papers from 374 information received and from this, around 35 people were charged in court under various criminal charges of corruption.
“The fines collected following the conviction in court amounted to RM413,527,” he said at the MACC Sarawak Appreciation Night with the media here on Monday.
According to him, MACC Sarawak had also organised various corruption prevention programmes involving political parties, Chinese leaders, rural communities as well as related agencies throughout this year.
Apart from that, anti-corruption messages were also disseminated to students at higher learning institutions and teacher training institutes, he added.
“I would like to stress that MACC Sarawak will continue in its efforts to prevent corruption by intensifying operations to combat corruption crimes in Sarawak as well as to educate the community to detest corruption activities,” assured Badrul.
He hoped to see the people in Sarawak cooperate with MACC by furnishing information on any corruption activities to the commission.