Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low is training his guns on middlemen in his crusade against graft in the government sector.

NONE Acknowledging that corruption exists in all areas, he said middlemen unnecessarily increased the cost of doing business as they get a cut or commission while adding no value to the business.

"It's an example of corruption which the government is greatly concerned about," he was quoted as saying by Bernama .

Low said although the issue was quite complex, the government would definitely look again at the issue to ensure businesses and the delivery system were undertaken in a transparent manner.

"The government will holistically look at the issue and act righteously according to the rules and criteria.

"Corruption has been practised in almost all areas in Malaysia. The construction sector would be the first the government would tackle.

"This is in line with the government's intention to further improve its monitoring framework for mega projects," he added.

Monitoring of selected projects

Selected projects valued above RM500 million and considered as high risk in terms of governance, he said, would be subject to monitoring by a supervisory team, which would include representatives from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the auditor-general.

"Next, we will look at the healthcare sector and the town councils," he said, adding that almost all associations have agreed to participate in fighting corruption.

Low also urged the public to play their part by whistleblowing on corrupt practices to the Prime Minister's Department through the Public Complaints Bureau or to other key enforcement agencies.

For decades, the ruling coalition had been struggling to battle the perception of being a corrupt regime and efforts taken by the administration to tackle graft are often met with scepticism.

Furthermore, political rivals have also accused the MACC of being under the thumb of ruling politicians, allegedly dragging its feet on numerous reports filed against BN leaders.

To enhance his administration’s image, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who himself had been accused of corruption, appointed Low as a senator and minister in charge of integrity following the last general election.

Low, the former Transparency International-Malaysia chairperson, however was dismissed by critics as mere window-dressing in Putrajaya. He however denies this claim.

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