KUALA TERENGGANU: The country had lost RM10 billion annually, which was between one and two per cent of the gross domestic production, owing to corruption.
This was the finding by the Special Task Force to Facilitate Business (Pemudah), said Terengganu Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission director, Principal Assistant Senior Commissioner Mohd Zaki Hasan.
He said this led to the eradication of corruption as one of six National Key Results Areas under the Government Transformation Programme, resulting in the implementation of the corruption-free pledge (IBR, or ikrar bebas rasuah).
“Thus, together with IBR and the Sahabat Gerakan Anti-Revolusi Anti-Rasuah (Gerah), MACC has placed emphasis for organisations to voluntarily carry out their duties responsibly and avoid corruption.
“It is not the executive responsibility of MACC solely to combat corruption but an equal role to be shared by society, especially public servants,” said Zaki.
He added that the numerous media reports on MACC’s arrests should send a clear message that corruption would not be tolerated in public service.
“If there are no givers, there will be no takers. All it takes is for one party to offer, for corruption to take place,” he said at the IBR exercise for 123 staff members of the North-East Region’s Marine Department in Jalan Hiliran.
Present was the department’s director, Wan Endok Wan Salleh.
Zaki revealed that, except for four arrests leading to three of them being charged for corruption earlier this month, Terengganu had a clean slate since the IBR was initiated in August last year.
“There have been no arrests involving staff of organisations in Terengganu which have taken the IBR.
“This demonstrates the effectiveness of IBR,” he said.
He said the commission did not receive any reports nor made arrests with any of the 59 federal and state government departments, statutory bodies, universities and government-linked companies in Terengganu, involving 10,000 staff members, thus far.
“We still have another 70-odd departments, involving 12,000 staff members, to be involved in the IBR exercise, to create greater awareness.
“Once completed, it will revolutionise our anti-graft efforts to have these oath-takers to be the eyes and ears for MACC,” he said.
Among the organisations MACC targets to initiate the IBR soon are the state Fisheries Department, Malaysian Fisheries Academy, Terengganu Farmers Organisation and the Marine Fish Acquaculture Research Division in Tanjung Demong
Zaki reminded those who had taken the IBR to not succumb to corruption.
“In many developed nations, the effort to combat corruption is a prime agenda. Corruption is an enemy that threatens security and which has significant costs for the nation.”