ASTUDY conducted recently by the Malaysian Institute of Integrity on corruption should be taken seriously. The study involving some 400 local university students found that many of them regarded it as something that is acceptable and not a crime.
The study, which was also aimed at gauging the thinking of the future generation, showed that 36 per cent of respondents felt receiving kickbacks in the form of money and presents was not corruption, while 37 per cent believed making false claims was not wrong. Another 20 per cent thought it was acceptable to offer jobs to relatives over others.
Interesting findings, but quite alarming. Researchers know that many more studies should be conducted to determine the consistency in the findings if we are to accurately evaluate the actual scenario. However, while waiting for more research to be conducted, we can start re-looking at the options to remedy the situation. And, reviewing our understanding of “corruption” and what it means. This can be part of our strategy.
Corruption takes many forms. To some, accepting a teh tarik from someone who needs a favour is akin to accepting a bribe of thousands of ringgit. Some people think certain corporate activities are meant to win favours, too, although many would argue that the companies are just giving back to their stakeholders.
In fact, returning favours for some good deeds is part of our culture. Buying lunch and even offering some cash is considered a way to say thank you. If this is the rationale our youth used as basis in their assessment of corruption, I fear that future research on the matter will yield the same results.
In general, corruption is understood as abuse of public resources for personal gain. According to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), it is the act of giving or receiving of any gratification or reward in the form of cash or in kind of high value for performing a task in relation to an officer’s job description.
Under the MACC Act 2009 (Act 694), it is wrong to solicit or receive gratification, offer and receive a bribe, intending to deceive (false claim), or abuse of power or position by accepting a bribe. Highlighting the law, legal implications and enforcement will help, but the fight against corruption must start early. Good values such as not offering or accepting bribes as inducement must be instilled at a very young age. Like manners, it has to be inculcated at a very early stage. Educating children about good values must be done continuously, and by example.
It is often too easy to blame parents for not providing the platform for children to develop into responsible citizens. It is also easy to blame others around us for being insensitive to the subject. We may blame the authorities, too, for not doing enough to put the problem in check.
It is very common for people to point fingers at each other despite knowing that containing corruption is a shared responsibility. We have to agree on the need to work together, as a family institution, a community and as authorities. There is a need to jointly educate our young about integrity early. Values such as gratitude and honesty should be inculcated from small. We should strive to make integrity part of our culture.
I happened to watch a documentary by Al Jazeera recently on Bangladeshi workers who came to Malaysia. They were exposed to abuse by corrupt agents before leaving their homeland, and on reaching our shores, they were allegedly cheated by local agents who not only took away their passports, but forced them to work with minimal wages. There are many other documentaries and special reports by foreign media agencies on corruption in Malaysia. Even if the reports are questionable, the bad press is very damaging.
We need a concerted effort to deal with a multi-faceted problem such as corruption. We have to educate our children on what corruption entails, help them identify corrupt practices and teach them to refuse to participate in them. The community can help by setting up more networks of corruption fighters that will help unmask the corrupt.
Understanding the legal definition and understanding the severity of the punishment will not solve the problem. This has been proven many times, as reported in the local media. Efforts to weed out corruption have to start early. And make our fight against corruption a lifelong mission.
Wan Norliza Wan Mustapha is a former associate professor at the Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam. She can be reached via wannorliza61@gmail.com