Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Abdul Aziz today defended the country's sliding anti-corruption record and insisted efforts led by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to fight graft had not fizzled out.

Nazri said criticisms that the government was not serious about its anti-corruption drive were due to a lack of publicity.

"The government has done everything it can think of to fight corruption," Nazri told the World Ethics and Transparency Forum here, organised by thinktank the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute.

"To this day, people do not believe the government is going strong in its fight on corruption," he added.

Nazri said Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) had stepped up efforts to investigate graft allegations, asking civil servants who appeared to be living beyond their means to furnish explanations.

Anonymous tip-offs were being taken seriously and a recent case involving a local council official who built a house disproportionately larger than other houses in the vicinity was under investigation, he added.

"Under the prime minister, the ACA is given a free hand to look into all allegations of corruption," Nazri said.

Nazri also said that the government's toll agreements with concessionaires should be declassified as 'state secrets' under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

He argued that this would clear up misconception among the public regarding the deals.

Four opposition leaders are currently being investigated under the Act for revealing a 'secret' toll deal involving one of the major highways last month.

Nepotism allegations

Abdullah was elected on an anti-corruption platform in March 2004, but opposition leaders say progress has been slow, with few meaningful reforms.

His "Mr Clean" image has also been tarnished by nepotism allegations, including from his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has accused Abdullah's son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin of being the real power behind the throne.

Corruption watchdog Transparency International in 2006 ranked Malaysia 44 out of 163 countries, sliding from its position of 39 out of 159 countries in 2005.

Nazri admitted there was "much room for improvement" in Malaysia's performance but said the country had "nothing to be ashamed about, considering the complexities and challenges of governing a diverse nation such as ours."