KUALA LUMPUR – There are at least 500 cases of misconduct in government agencies that have been ignored by heads of departments, despite being flagged by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said.
He told New Straits Times in an interview that some of these cases date back to 12 years ago.
Azam was quoted saying that it is the MACC’s normal practice to notify heads of departments when there is suspicion of possible wrongdoing by subordinates.
Of the 533 neglected cases MACC shared with NST, a large number involved the police and the Road Transport Department. The others included reports of misconduct in the courts, the Prime Minister’s Office, religious authorities, hospitals and health departments, and universities, NST reported.
Azam said that while MACC’s investigations focused on corruption, it will also report to heads of departments any elements of misconduct, if found.
The heads of departments are to report back to MACC to confirm they received the reports, and a committee within the government agencies concerned should be formed to probe matters raised in MACC’s reports.
Azam said the internal committees can close the case if they decide that there are no criminal offences committed, while criminal cases will be brought to court.
Azam added that there has been a circular in place on what heads of departments are to do with MACC reports since 1984, but many heads continue to ignore the reports even when the anti-graft body sends reminder letters to them. – The Vibes, May 9, 2023
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