GEORGE TOWN – Penang has pledged to cooperate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to address issues of graft following claims of rampant corruption within the state’s civil service, to ensure those involved are dealt with accordingly.
In a statement, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said Penang welcomes MACC’s investigation into the alleged corruption involving government officers, in line with the state’s competency, accountability, and transparency principles of good governance that have been adopted since 2008.
“No one is above the law. Civil servants, whether from the federal, state or local authorities, and agencies, if found to be involved in accepting bribes, abuse of power, and making false claims must be investigated and charged as soon as possible.”
In the same note, Chow wants MACC to be more transparent in revealing the number of cases that have been charged in court as well as the number of civil servants from Penang who have been found guilty of corruption.
“We demand transparency on the part of MACC as we do not want the image of Penang civil servants and the state government to be tarnished only by account of the number of complaints received since 2019.”
His statement follows MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki’s claim yesterday that corruption in Penang is at a worrying level.
Speaking during a radio interview, Azam revealed that based on statistics, MACC has received 919 complaints of civil servants accepting bribes, abusing their power and making false claims in Penang since 2019.
“Many offences were committed but the crime of corruption is the favourite, which normally involves accepting bribes and abusing power. We received 312 information on accepting bribes and 147 on abuse of power here.
“This trend is worrisome as it involves abuse of power such as using their (civil servants) positions to award job contracts to family members or individuals who have blood relations,” he had said.
Making false claims for completed work is also common in Penang, according to Azam.
“These cases are increasing by the day, so I urge all the department heads to monitor their officers who are given the authority to make decisions,” he said.
In a separate statement, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang challenged Azam to back his claim of rampant corruption in Penang with facts and figures, adding that such transgressions must be addressed regardless of the state where they are committed.
“The MACC chief should not make irresponsible statements against any state without facts and figures.”
He said the MACC had received 312 information on accepting bribes and 147 on abuse of power in Penang.
“What are the figures for the other states in Malaysia? How many persons have the MACC charged in court for bribery and abuse of power in Penang and what were the figures for the other states?”
Lim also called on the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department to summon Azam for clarification and further explanation. – The Vibes, September 30, 2022
