Bernas wins top integrity, anti-graft award

KUALA LUMPUR – Padiberas Nasional Bhd, which was recently rebuked by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for its longstanding monopoly of the rice industry, has received an award for integrity and anti-corruption.

The firm was selected as the recipient of the Platinum Award, the highest accolade handed out during the inaugural Integrity, Governance and Anti-Corruption Award (AIGA) ceremony this evening.

According to a press statement by AIGA, Bernas was picked as the winner for its unique best practice of having an independent whistleblowing channel managed by a third party.

“The impact of this implementation was evident in the increase of the number of reports (of wrongdoings) received, clearly showing the confidence of whistle-blowers to come forward to report on corruption and practices that contravene integrity.

“Statistics from 2020 to 2022 show an increase from zero to seven reports lodged during this period,” it said.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof was present to hand out the award to Bernas Group managing director Datuk Haris Fadzilah Hassan.

The evaluation for the platinum category was carried out by a special panel comprising National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption director-general Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, Bursa Malaysia non-executive chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar and UCSI University Kuala Lumpur Campus group CEO Datuk Siti Hamisah Tapsir.

Bernas is also among the top five recipients of the Gold Award during the ceremony. The four others are the Fire and Rescue Department, Johor Port Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, and Northport (Malaysia) Bhd.

AIGA is organised by the Malaysian Institute of Integrity, a company limited by guarantee which was founded in 2004 in line with the launching of the National Integrity Plan.

It aims to recognise and appreciate government agencies and private companies that commit to the culture of integrity, good governance, and anti-corruption.

A total of 115 participants took part in this year’s iteration.

It aims to serve as a mechanism to measure the commitment, efforts, and efficiency of the initiatives taken by the organisations, and be the benchmark for the cultivation of integrity.

In a press conference last month, Anwar had openly rebuked Bernas, which has exclusive import rights for rice, for its monopoly of the industry at the expense of local padi farmers. 

The prime minister assured that his government will no longer allow such monopoly by certain figures who prey on small-time players, adding that this view had been explicitly relayed to Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, the business tycoon who controls Bernas.

Anwar added that Syed Mokhtar and Bernas would allocate special funds together totalling RM60 million to be distributed to local farmers. – The Vibes, January 18, 2023