Every local authority in Malaysia is corrupt and it is up to the public to make a difference, claimed the president of the Kuala Lumpur Society for Transparency and Integrity Tunku Abdul Aziz today.

"I can't think of any local council that is corruption-free. Every local authority in Malaysia is corrupt! It is normal people like you and me who can make all the difference in combating corruption."

He said this fact was recognised by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who has been vocal about rooting out corruption from the civil service.

Abdul Aziz said the lack of enforcement at the local authority level encouraged corruption, leading to bad governance.

"Enforcement officers have taken bribes, otherwise how is it that back extensions of shoplots, which you and I know is illegal, can go unnoticed?

"I feel there is something really wrong with a society that defends corrupt practices or wilfully shuts an eye," he said at the soft launch of a series of pamphlets themed 'Action for Better Cities: Information Series' on 'Corrupting Tendencies: Towards Greater Transparency in Cities.'

The awareness programme will be done together with the United Nations Development Programme's regional 'The Urban Governance Initiative'. Also present was UNDP Malaysia resident representative Richard Leete.

The society is the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International (TI).

'Corruption minefield'

Referring to a survey conducted last year on public perception of corruption within the Selayang Baru municipality, Abdul Aziz said it was clear from the findings that municipal councils were a "corruption minefield".

The survey found that unpunished wrongs and inherent red-tape in the local government administration provided an ideal atmosphere for corruption.

It also found that a majority of Selayang Baru ratepayers saw the police as most corrupt among civil servants, traders offered bribes easily for business expediency and the media was a major means of exposing corruption.

Asked on the response since the survey was released in May 2002, Abdul Aziz said while the government was positive about it, nothing concrete has emerged from the survey findings.

"As expected, the Selangor government and the municipal council got all defensive and denied everything. There was no positive feedback from them despite the recommendations in the survey to improve public perception on corruption within their jurisdiction."

He said TI-Malaysia has plans for a similar survey within the Kuala Lumpur City Hall area and is arranging to meet the mayor soon.

"We hope to get funding for this major project. Our aim is to gather information and release it to the public so that the necessary agencies could do something about it."

Asked if he had approached the Anti-Corruption Agency with the Selayang Baru survey, he said there were several discussions but "the rejection rate (of the findings) was quite high".

Abdul Aziz said there is an urgent need for a complete, thorough review of the government administration, which is only possible through sheer political will.

He was confident that given the "right mood and prevailing environment" following a new premier, some changes are underway, such as the proposed establishment of a national institute of public ethics and integrity announced by Abdullah.

Money politics

On money politics, he said the entire cabinet should offer to resign en bloc if they were sincere about helping Abdullah in his aim to combat corruption at all levels.

"They should resign and then let him choose a new line-up because if people perceive the existing cabinet to be tainted with corruption, then all of Pak Lah's statements will come to nothing.

"The other thing he should do is to ensure the declaration of assets for any public official and their immediate families to an independent body within Parliament, like in Thailand."

In his speech, Leete said corruption breeds on itself "when there is a widespread feeling that there is corruption".

"But it is also a difficult matter which is often pushed under the table. Corruption hurts most those who are least able to defend themselves."

Echoing Abdul Aziz's views on corrupt local governments, Leete said it is very dangerous at that level because each and every citizen's daily affairs are touched by them, thus the biggest potential for exposure to such practices.

"However, it is always important to remember that not only developing countries are riddled with corruption but also developed or wealthy countries."