Anwar: Political will absent in fighting graft

Widening corruption in Malaysia belie the truth of government claims that it is striving for political and economic transformation, said PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

In a statement in conjunction with World Anti-Corruption Day today, he said there is ample proof of this in the Auditor-General's Report 2012.

"It is clear that there is no political will and determination on the part of the government to combat corruption,” Anwar noted.

“Malaysia is now ranked 53rd out of 177 countries compared to Singapore (fifth) and Brunei (38th).”

He said corruption has affected the nation’s coffers and led to the imposition of new taxes, including the upcoming Goods and Services Tax, thereby increasing the financial burden of citizens.

“Tackling corruption and graft is the joint responsibility of citizens ...,” said Anwar.

“Thus, awareness has to be instilled on the ill-effects of bribery and corruption, so that the act of giving and receiving bribes can be abolished.”

In a separate statement, PKR’s strategy director Rafizi Ramli said harsher penalties should be imposed on those found guilty of corruption.

He called for a life sentence in place of the maximum 20 years’ imprisonment for those convicted.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission should also be reviewed to enable seizure of assets those convicted more than five times for bribery or corruption.

Rafizi added that the government has not given much importance to World Corruption Day, which is a poor reflection on its efforts to eradicate corruption.