In war on graft, MACC deploys spies in government agencies, GLCs
KUALA LUMPUR: THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC) has planted “spies” in several government agencies and
government-linked companies to end corrupt practices.
A source said these officers had been
trained to integrate themselves into the agencies they were assigned to.
“They assimilate themselves so well no one
will suspect anything, even when a MACC swoop is carried out.
“The presence of these officers sends a
clear warning to public officers, especially those dealing with funds and in
decision-making roles.
They should think twice before engaging in
corrupt practices,” the source said.
Separately, MACC deputy chief commissioner
(operations) Datuk Azam Baki said it would be ideal if he had more men to send
out to check for corruption and abuse of power, especially at agencies that
dealt with taxpayer funds.
The New Straits Times was made to
understand that the commission had fixed its eyes and would soon swoop in on
several sectors in government agencies and government-linked companies for
malpractice.
The commission has more than 50 officers
serving as chief integrity officers (CIO) in several “hot” departments.
While their primary roles include improving
the departments’ integrity, Azam would not commit when asked if his men had
played a role in raids involving agencies in recent months, including the
Road
Transport and Immigration departments as well as Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
MACC personnel are also CIOs in the Health
and Home ministries as well as Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and
Johor Corporation.
“It is our ambition to have MACC officers
in every government department, not just the ‘hot’ ones.
“But for now, we cannot afford to do so as
we do not have that many officers to spare,” he told the NST.
The commission, Azam said, was focused on a
clean-up of civil service sectors that dealt with public funds.
MACC, he added, was also looking to plug
loopholes in the public delivery system that could open the room for corrupt
practices and abuse of power.
Chief among its plan, said Azam, was the
enactment of a law to deal with misconduct in public office.
This, he said, would give the commission
more bite in combating corruption in the civil service.
He said cases of officers dealing with
procurement and their links to jacked-up prices of purchases had not gone
unnoticed, although in some cases they feigned ignorance and claimed that “it
was just an honest mistake”.
“We would like to propose that the
government formulate a law so that we can act against those responsible for
losses in government procurement.
“There have been instances in the past
where we had strong grounds to believe there were elements of corruption in
procurement.
“But we could not get enough evidence to
charge the perpetrators, causing the government millions in losses,” he said,
adding that the public could play a role in graft-busting.
He said while the commission carried out
aggressive investigations, it welcomed public tip-offs.
“I assure you, give valid information for
us to conduct investigations and I will mobilise my men.
“The Sabah case is an example.
It began with tip-offs by the public. We
then proceeded with our intelligence gathering.”
He said MACC chief commissioner Datuk
Dzulkifli Ahmad had made it clear in his first week as chief that the days of
corrupt personnel were numbered and that they should end their wayward ways
immediately.
“The warning was clear and our Sabah bust
proves our seriousness in combating corruption, especially among civil
servants.”
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