How do you change a culture of corruption?

This question dominated last night's forum on "Nation Building through Transparency, Accountability and Integrity". Organised by the Chevening Alumni of Malaysia in association with Caux Initiatives for Business, the forum featured a lecture by Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, founder of the Malaysian Society for Transparency and Integrity and recently Special Adviser on Ethics to the UN Secretary-General.

Introduced as a "transparency and anti-corruption supremo", Aziz's credentials speak volumes about his dedication and passion to fighting his personal war against corruption. The man is also a member of the World Bank High Level anti-corruption advisory group, and his book (released in 2004) is even entitled Fighting Corruption: My Mission .

Aziz's lecture, peppered with personal anecdotes, focused mainly on our "corruption-saturated society". The structure of our society, as well as its mindset, is at fault in allowing corruption to run rampant on all levels.

"Corruption is not just about money changing hands", he said. Rather, corruption is a culture that happens when society lacks transparency or accountability. It is the absence of integrity in a system without checks and balances. Which is precisely why Aziz calls for transparency on all levels, especially in the Malaysian government.

"Corruption and good governance are mutually exclusive," Aziz says. "You cannot have one together with the other." He added that governments should take primary responsibility for corruption, and also for increasing transparency within the system.

No political will

Aziz says that he has been raising the transparency issue with government officials for the past 12 years. (That's two prime ministers so far, and at least three changes of Parliament.) However, for all those years, very little has been done.

"There is no political will to change the system," Aziz laments. "The government does not want to rock the boat."

Therefore, Aziz also calls on the private sector as well as the general public to fight corruption along with the government. Political will, he says, is not just in the government, but includes all Malaysians.

"We are all leaders, and we must lead by example," he said, adding that every individual should strive to change the "corruption is OK" mindset and instead focus on creating change within their specific communities.

Aziz gave the simple example of receiving a speeding ticket. "If the policeman asks you for a bribe, just say no!"

Yes, you may have to spend your time in court, but you will have made a difference, he added, saying that one does not have to be a "virtuous person" to make ethical decisions.

Aziz also called on the private sector to fight corruption.

"The private sector provides the supply side for corruption. So they should set the tone for the government," he said.

Aziz urged private companies to create a business atmosphere that does not condone corruption, adding that it was in their power to provide for the economic development of good governance.

'We are not outraged enough'

As pessimistic as Aziz is about the state of corruption in Malaysia, he is just as optimistic about society's ability to make a difference.

"One person can make a difference. Imagine if all of us try to change things!" he said.

Aziz spoke wistfully of the independent police commission in Hong Kong, formed when citizens demanded change from the rampant corruption in its police force. Now, he said, the Hong Kong police have almost zero corruption.

"The trouble is," he lamented, "we are not outraged enough."

Around 80 people attended the public forum, including Chevening alum and representatives from various NGOs.

In the forum's opening address, British High Commissioner to Malaysia Boyd McLeary reconfirmed British assistance to the Malaysian government's emphasis on good governance.

However, he cautioned that as Malaysia continued to develop economically, good governance would not be enough.

"Partnerships with stockholders and foreign investors will become even more important than they currently are and these people need to have confidence that their money will be safely invested here," he added.