KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is working closely with the Attorney-General’s Chambers to draft a new provision to be included in the MACC Act 2009.
Performance Management Delivery Unit (Pemandu) National Key Results Area (NKRA) anti-corruption director D. Ravindran said the Corporate Liability Provision could deter the corporate sector from trying to obtain projects through bribery.
“Corruption starts with the giving. Once we stop giving, corruption will stop.
“This is why MACC is following international standards of practice, such as the United States’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the United Kingdom’s Bribery Act, to curb corruption.
“Once the provision is included in MACC Act, corporate entities can be held responsible if their employees are involved in corruption.
“The penalty ranges from fine to blacklisting. This can reduce corruption cases in the corporate sector,” he said after attending the Walk Against Corruption 2014 at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa here yesterday.
Currently, only employees who commit bribery will be charged while companies are not liable to prosecution.
Ravindran said he hoped the Corporate Liability Provision would
be brought up in the next Parliament sitting.
Earlier, Transparency International-Malaysia (TM-I) president Datuk Akhbar Satar launched the coalition called Governance, Integrity, Accountability and Transparency (GIAT) to curb and eradicate corruption in the country.
The coalition comprises Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, Pertubuhan Amal Seri Sinar, Citizens Network for Better Malaysia and Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism.
Akhbar said non-governmental organisations would work together under the coalition to come up
with strategies to eradicate corruption.
“We cannot depend solely on MACC.
“Everyone should take responsibility by informing the commission if corruption occurs.”
More than 1,000 Malaysians participated in the 1.4km walk.
Themed “A Nation Free of Corruption Starts with You”, it was organised by TM-I in collaboration with the MACC, NKRA, Pemandu and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Organised for the third consecutive year, the event aimed to
show public support in fighting corruption and to raise awareness,
particularly among youth, on the issue.
Present were MACC deputy chief Datuk Mustafar Ali and Datuk Zuraidah Mohamed from the Royal Malaysian Police Department.