Today is the day Pakatan Harapan has chosen for the “Love Malaysia, Eradicate Kleptocracy” rally in Padang Timur, Petaling Jaya.

Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, politics, age or gender can show their love for and loyalty to Malaysia through uniting to oppose Malaysia being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy.

Befitting the occasion, Oct 14 should be declared and observed as “Anti-kleptocracy Day” in Malaysia, until the world stops regarding the country as a global kleptocracy.

For 13 years, the world has celebrated International Anti-corruption Day on Dec 9, to commemorate the passage of the UN Convention Against Corruption in 2003.

The Convention states, in part, that the UN is: "Concerned about the seriousness of problems and threats posed by corruption to the stability and security of societies, undermining the institutions and values of democracy, ethical values and justice and jeopardising sustainable development and the rule of law."

It also delegate to the Convention the power to: "Promote and strengthen measures to prevent and combat corruption more efficiently and effectively... promote, facilitate and support international cooperation and technical assistance in the prevention of and fight against corruption… [and] promote integrity, accountability and proper management of public affairs and public property."

Malaysia is one of the countries that has refused to officially recognise, observe and celebrate the annual Anti-corruption Day.

In fact, Malaysia is probably the only country where its head of government pulled out at the last minute from delivering a keynote opening address of a major international anti-corruption conference – held in Putrajaya – because of Malaysia’s infamy and ignominy as a global kleptocracy.

In May 2015, minister in the Prime Minister’s Department responsible for good governance and integrity, Paul Low, was still boasting that the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) – held from Sept 2 to 4 that year –would be the world’s largest anti-graft conference to be opened by the prime minister and closed the deputy prime minister.

But neither appeared at the event, as Najib Abdul Razak was advised by Low not to attend, reportedly because the participants might not welcome him there, following developments over the 1MDB scandal.

Muhyiddin Yassin had by that time been summarily sacked as deputy prime minister for questioning Najib over the 1MDB scandal.

Malaysia has had nothing to show in efforts to fight corruption in the 13 years since the passage of the UN Convention.

In the 2003 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, Malaysia was ranked 37 out of 132 countries with a score above average. In 2016, Malaysia’s ranking has fallen precipitately to 55 out of 176 countries, with a score below the average.

South Korea was behind Malaysia in the CPI in 2003, but overtook Malaysia in the last 11 years. Even China and Indonesia have made great strides in the war against corruption, but Malaysia had regressed in the battle against corruption in the past 13 years.

This is the reason why “tigers” are being caught, jailed and even executed for corruption in China, “crocodiles” brought to justice in Indonesia, but “sharks” in Malaysia swimming freely and merrily in our waters. What is even worse for Malaysia is that we have “graduated” to become a “global kleptocracy.”

It is to Malaysia’s eternal shame that we are singled out and named in Robert Rotberg’s new book, “The Corruption Cure” as the nation which the US government is combatting in the fight against global kleptocracy.

“Under President Obama and his two attorneys general, the US had intensified its attack on the corporate, sovereign wealth fund, and individual corruption, because it is wrong, but also because the Department of Justice believes that such corruption is a major cause of global instability, a severe hindrance to economic development everywhere, a major creator of poverty, and a critical abuse of national social contracts.

“Funds pilfered abroad – as in the Malaysian government sovereign wealth fund case, where more than US$3 billion was misappropriated – also distorts real estate markets and the overall American economy (witness Miami and New York). For all those reasons and more, corruption is a ‘threat to American national security,’” Rotberg writes.

Reading this paragraph, Malaysians will probably find it ironic that the prime minister could speak about Malaysia strengthening the American economy in his visit to the White House.

One important point made by Rotberg in his new book is that anti-corruption commissions are no panaceas to the problem of corruption. In fact, in many countries, anti-corruption commissions have been worse than ineffective, as they have been “weaponised to punish opponents of corrupt regimes,” instead of fighting corruption without fear or favour.

Let Oct 14 be declared and observed as Anti-kleptocracy Day in Malaysia until we are no longer shrouded in ignominy.