The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is targeting to increase public confidence level, especially among youths, for the agency to 70 percent this year.

Its director (Social Education) Shamsun Baharin Mohd Jamil said based on a study by MACC last year, the confidence level among youths was 64.4 percent.

"When we took into account studies conducted by universities every year, the sector that lacks confidence in MACC is the young people, at 64.4 percent.

"On the whole, the public confidence level in the country is 67.8 percent and this year, we hope to achieve 70 percent," he told a media conference after a forum on Preventing Corruption is a Joint Responsibility in Kuantan today.

He said efforts would continue to be made to achieve the international standard, which should be more than 80 percent, like in Hong Kong.

Shamsun Baharin said based on statistics from 2003 to 2012, 40 percent of the 5,799 people caught for corruption were youths.

Fifty-four percent of those caught were below 40 years of age, while those below 35 years old made up 40 percent of those caught, he added.

- Bernama