KUALA LUMPUR – Lending corporate collaboration to the movement, this collaboration seeks to empower communities to reject corrupt practices as a path to eradicating the culture of corruption.
The Vibes’ Eddin Khoo speaks to Allianz Malaysia Bhd CEO Zakri Khir about the unique collaboration.
Eddin Khoo: Could you elaborate on why Allianz is supporting the Rasuah Busters movement?
Zakri Khir: We are a good brand and a good brand must stand for something.
And at this current moment in time, in this current environment in this country, corruption is so bad and that is why we are joining this coalition of the willing to tell the world, specifically our world in Malaysia, that we will not tolerate, and we will stand, be counted, and fight against corruption.
We also wish to support its call to combat corruption as it exists in every industry, and the insurance industry is no exception. As a large organisation, Allianz Malaysia sees it as a moral and social obligation to fight this social crime.
It is an opportunity for us to empower corporations and individuals to demand greater accountability from those in positions of power. Good governance is crucial and needs to be guided by principles of integrity, accountability, and transparency.
We also want to take a firm collective stand in rejecting all forms of corruption through our actions, be it at the workplace or on a personal level.
In 2017, we launched Allianz Road Rangers, a complimentary motor accident assistance for all Allianz motor comprehensive policyholders with our very own fleet of Allianz Malaysia tow trucks nationwide. It is our way of dealing with corruption in the industry, protecting our customers from tow truck touts and giving them a hassle-free motor claims journey.
Last year, we faced our sternest test yet in our quest for change. We became the first insurer to hold an open tender inviting car workshops under the PIAM Approved Repairers Scheme (PARS) to join our panel of Allianz authorised repairers.
When we came to know about Rasuah Busters and what it aimed to do, we found it the perfect platform to support and help us take things further in fighting this crime.
EK: In what ways will this support be undertaken by Allianz?
ZK: We are rolling out various initiatives to spread this awareness. We have started giving out windscreen stickers to our motor policyholders and our Road Rangers trucks are also being branded with our Rasuah Busters “Kami Anti Rasuah” slogan.
Posters with this slogan will also be printed for our customer service concierge and all our branches while our policy documents and letterheads will also carry this messaging. Digitally, we have shared this initiative on our corporate website and official social media channels. Other initiatives are also being planned.
When we officially launched this partnership on April 19, it was an all-out pledge to fight corruption and we will do as much as we can to go out and spread this awareness among our customers, public, and stakeholders
EK: Could you explain a little about how corruption affects business practices?
ZK: It gives an extremely negative perception of the company and robs the company of its credibility and trust among its stakeholders.
The main source of corruption in the motor insurance industry is in motor claims, where you have irresponsible parties conspiring to inflate charges and make false or exaggerated claims.
An example is the tow truck business, which is a RM1 billion industry. Why does it exist? Because of the people in the insurance industry who allow unscrupulous people to make money and if we can stop this dishonest practice, we save the industry nearly RM1 billion.
As a result of constant fraud in motor claims, we have to incorporate additional steps into our standard operating procedures that are necessary to rule out, contain, and/or mitigate any potential leakages. As a result of this, the entire process inadvertently takes longer and we incur additional costs.
It is crucial in our business to ensure that we are honest and truthful to our customers and the company’s credibility remains intact. As a responsible insurer, we strive to strike a balance in our processes in order to ensure no compromises in our service deliveries.
EK: Why do you think corruption has become so widespread within Malaysian society?
ZK: Because we have failed to instil the importance of good moral values among our young. This is what our society sorely lacks today. People have become so engrossed in materialism, as money and status appears to be the main motivation for many. They are desperate to get rich fast and will do anything to get there.
Society celebrates wealth over intellectual achievement and this is disheartening to see. We need to go back to the root causes and instill strong moral values among our youth. Only then will all these perceptions that have infiltrated our society have any hope of positive change.
The current political environment itself fuels corruption, where the choice of leaders seems to be made based on selecting leaders who give gratification. Society must come out loud and strong to reject this. They cannot allow themselves to be used by those out there to reach their own selfish goals rather than lend a genuine helping hand.
The business community is largely viewed by the general public as being insulated from the concerns of larger Malaysian society: would you agree with this, and why? How can this be addressed?
On the contrary, I think most businesses do try their level best to meet the expectations of society. Everyone out there is a customer to a business organisation and to thrive as a business, it is the needs of the customer that comes first.
Our partnership with Rasuah Busters is one clear example of how it is much more than just business, and that public concerns matter. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2020 ranks Malaysia 57th amongst 180 countries with a score of 51/100, which I believe is a “C” or a “pass” in today’s academic grading system.
The Global Corruption Barometer for Asia 2020 survey also showed that 71% of Malaysians felt that government corruption was a big problem.
As a corporate organisation, we share this concern with the general public and when an opportunity like Rasuah Busters came along, it was again, a moral obligation for us to step up, be one with the public, and make a collective stand on outright rejection of corruption in every form. – The Vibes, July 25, 2021
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