Malaysia needs a clean leader who is sincere in fighting corruption, otherwise it would not be effective, said Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Akhbar Satar.

"Corruption is rampant in the country, everyone knows this.

"We need a leader who is really clean and sincere in fighting corruption. If such a leader is not sincere, then it's very difficult (to combat corruption)," he said at the launch of his Malay-language book 'Corruption, Crime and Malaysia' in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said that Malaysia had lost two to four percent of its economic growth due to corruption, according to World Bank data.

Foreign investors had probably shied away from Malaysia due to corruption in the country, he said, noting that neighbours Indonesia and Thailand, which had done a lot in combating corruption, were doing well at attracting investors.

Akhbar said the government spent so much money in combating corruption but the focus should be on sowing integrity in the people.

Then, he said, the government would not have to spend so much money combating corruption.

He said the government should mould the young from an early age.

Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation chairman Lee Lam Thye, who was also present at the book launch, shared similar views on promoting integrity at an early age.

He insisted that integrity should be part of “our culture” and suggested that lessons on integrity be held in schools.