Pakatan Harapan Youth today unveiled an eight-point agenda to combat corruption in the country, should the coalition form the government in Putrajaya.

"In 10 years, we want to make Malaysia among the 10-least corrupt countries in the world," Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman told a press conference at the Bersatu headquarters in Petaling Jaya this morning.

Malaysia ranked 55 out of 170 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index 2016.

Syed Saddiq explained that the suggestions were the result of consultations with various parties, including Universiti Malaya's political economist Terence Gomez, the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), and Bersih. The agenda proposes to:

  • Enable the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate both public officials and politicians, in or out of office, who live beyond their means.
     
  • Set up an independent task force to oversee the MACC and appoint MACC commissioners.
     
  • Allow the MACC full autonomy from political interference and powers to investigate, prosecute and charge cases of corruption.
     
  • Amend the MACC Act 2009 to expand the definition of bribes beyond money and to enable the MACC to investigate public officials and politicians who live beyond their means.
     
  • Amend the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 so that whistleblowers report to an independent body.
     
  • Enable the press to report on cases of corruption, free from political interference or pressure.
     
  • Separate the roles of the attorney-general and public prosecutor to enable independent investigations into public officials, and
     
  • Declassify important government documents, like the attorney-general’s annual report and government tenders that are currently protected by the Official Secrets Act 1972.

Presently, the MACC is parked under the Prime Minister’s Department, where all commissioner appointments require approval from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Public perception of MACC’s effectiveness has been dismal, with former MACC panel chairperson Ramon Navaratnam calling the commission a “toothless tiger”.

Its independence was also called into question when six MACC commissioners assigned to investigate 1MDB-linked SRC International were transferred out last December.

Angkatan Pemuda Keadilan (AMK) Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was optimistic that the agenda will be adopted in the yet-to-be-finalised Harapan manifesto.

He said that they have met with the coalition's top leaders and are in communications with the team working on the manifesto to have the agenda incorporated into it.

Missing from the agenda, however, was a requirement for politicians and public officials to declare their assets, as "it is already practiced in Selangor and Penang," said AMK deputy chairperson and Seberang Jaya assemblyperson Afif Bahardin.

Putting the practice in place at Bersatu could also pose a challenge, admitted Syed Saddiq.

“We might face the strongest resistance at Bersatu when implementing asset declaration because many are ex-Umno members and they are relatively rich. They might have interests to ensure these legislative amendments (in our proposal) are not passed.

“But there is moral support from (Bersatu chairperson Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) and (deputy president) Mukhriz Mahathir for it,” he said.