Measures proposed to improve country's corruption score - task force

Proposals to improve the country’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score include better communication of government efforts and drafting the Government Procurement Bill.

These measures were raised during the second meeting of the Special Task Force on the CPI, which was chaired by Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar today.

The meeting examined strategies to enhance Malaysia’s CPI score and ranking following the announcement of the CPI 2024 results by Transparency International-Malaysia on Feb 11.

The meeting also paid attention to the decline in scores in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook survey and the Economist Intelligence Country Risk Service, said the task force in a statement.

Among the proposed improvement measures were strengthening communication and advocacy regarding the government’s efforts to improve governance through initiatives and legal reforms such as the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act 2023.

Other suggested measures include the drafting of the Government Procurement Bill, efforts to address bureaucratic red tape through Bureaucratic Red Tape Reforms, and improvements to the business licensing mechanisms.

The CPI special task force is led by the MACC.

“In efforts to improve Malaysia’s CPI ranking, the Business Competitiveness Focus Group, led by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, and the Public Fund Management Focus Group, led by the Finance Ministry, will submit comprehensive reports based on survey analyses and improvement recommendations to the Special Task Force on CPI for necessary interventions.

“In addition, the Legal Focus Group, led by the Legal Affairs Department of the Prime Minister’s Department, will focus on legal reforms, including amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Bill, to enhance public confidence in transparency and the efficiency of the public service delivery system,” the statement read.

Following these discussions, a 10-year CPI Roadmap has been developed to place Malaysia among the top 25 countries by 2033.

The roadmap is based on three dimensions: Shared Accountability, Strong and Effective Institutions, and Strategic Collaboration.

In an effort to strengthen governance, the Good Governance Conference 2025 will be held in Putrajaya next Monday (Feb 24), with participation from the public sector, private sector, academia, and NGOs, the task force added.

- Bernama

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