The Penang state government will invite Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad to the Corruption-Free Pledge to be held at Komtar this Friday.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state government has agreed to sign the pledge, provided it included the state government’s 10 integrity measures.

“This demonstrates our sincerity and commitment to combat corruption, as well as not to allow this matter to be maliciously exploited by the BN-controlled media to politically lynch Penang,” Lim said in a statement today.

MACC can organise the event for Penang or do it jointly with the state government, added Lim.

The 10 integrity measures include putting into practice the state government’s principles of CAT (competency, accountability, and transparency), practising open competitive tenders and institutionalising the public declaration of assets by the chief minister, state executive council members and assemblypersons.

Other than that, members of the administration are banned from getting approvals for state land, their families cannot do business or gain contracts from the state government and they are not allowed to receive personal “donations”.

Finally, full protection must be given to genuine whistleblowers, a provision to take action against government leaders who live in luxury beyond their means and transparency in political contributions.

Lim said he was not aware that the state government must initiate contact with MACC, as is commonly done between government agencies.

He asked why the MACC did not inform the Penang government, by phone or email, to sign the pledge without any compulsion.

However, Lim added, the state government has no problem to volunteer, on behalf of all members of the state administration, assemblypersons and Members of Parliament, for the pledge to be signed.