Kuala Lumpur: Lawmakers play a crucial role in ensuring that political funds can be controlled more transparently and with integrity through stricter policies, said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki. He emphasized the necessity for controls with transparency and integrity, as money politics could lead to the risk of abuse of power and irregularities.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Azam stated that in ensuring a cleaner and more effective government administration, MACC stresses the need for compliance with the ethical code by politicians and proactive measures to curb public fund leakage and conflicts of interest. He highlighted the importance of these steps to restore public confidence in the government and ensure the well-being of the nation is preserved.

Azam mentioned that MACC had held an engagement session with Negeri Sembilan state assemblymen, themed Joint Commitment: Strengthening Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Policies. This session aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the role of state legislators in strengthening integrity in government administration, in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024-2028.

He further noted Malaysia’s position in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024, which remained the same as in 2023, indicating that much more effort was needed to combat corruption, requiring the commitment of all parties. “The CPI performance of Malaysia this year is considered a challenge for MACC to intensify efforts and commitment to achieve 25th place in the next 10 years,” Azam said. He stressed the necessity of close cooperation between state leadership and the community to strengthen the anti-corruption agenda for the benefit of the nation.