Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has thrown a challenge to the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).

In a statement today, he called on the agency to prove that it is not a "toothless tiger."

He said ACA must reveal how many people have been arrested and prosecuted for corruption and criminal breach of trust based on previous auditor-general's (AG) reports.

"In China, a senior official at the Agricultural Bank was executed for corruption following years of ordering suppliers to pay him kickbacks," he pointed out.

In the Philippines, he said, former president Joseph Estrada was given a life sentence after he was found guilty of massive corruption.

"But what do we have in Malaysia?" he asked. "Another year of shocking revelations of corruption, criminal breach of trust, overspending and mismanagement of funds by the AG, with the apt headline of 'Same old story year in year out' in the New Straits Times ."

Lim appeared unconvinced about the promise from ACA director-general Ahmad Said Hamdan who said on Tuesday that if there is any hint of corruption, the agency will haul up the officials concerned, including ministers, for questioning.

Lim also felt the same about a similar statement made by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz.

'Empty words'

"These were all empty words utterly lacking in credibility as corruption has worsened in the past four years, as reflected by national and international perceptions," said the opposition leader.

"Public confidence in ACA, in its independence, capability, professionalism and integrity is at an all-time low in the four-year premiership of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi," he added.

Lim also said that he has noted a "conspicuous omission" on the issue of corruption in the prime minister's 2008 Budget speech.

"The total absence of any reference to the scourge of corruption which added to the cost of doing business in Malaysia is a major obstacle to economic efficiency.

"This is contrary to Abdullah's pledge that eradicating corruption would be his top priority when he became the premier in 2003.

"In the exchange with BN MPs, none of them dared to stand up to contradict my prediction that Malaysia's ranking in the Transparency International Corruption Index 2007 is likely to be even worse than the lowest ranking of 44 last year," he added.