Kuala lumpur: Prevention and public awareness must be strengthened alongside enforcement in high-risk areas vulnerable to smuggling, cross-border crime, duty-free abuse, and customs issues, said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Management and Professional) Datuk Junipah Wandi highlighted the implications of these issues for national security and the economy.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Junipah stated that such challenges not only impair administrative efficiency but also erode investor confidence, tarnish the nation's image, and harm public well-being. She emphasized that every system loophole creates opportunities for corruption, which, if not addressed, could evolve into syndicates and threaten national stability.

Junipah underscored the need for strengthened prevention and public awareness efforts alongside enforcement. This was articulated at the opening of the Kedah MACC Langkawi branch office, as per a statement released today. She described Langkawi as a crucial national gateway with intense flows of people, goods, and economic activity, noting that the Langkawi MACC office is part of a national effort to reinforce enforcement integrity and address loopholes threatening national interests.

Operating from the new location is seen as a strategic move to enhance the MACC's capacity for effective enforcement, prevention, and monitoring. Junipah expressed hope that the Langkawi office would serve as a responsive action hub, capable of detecting, investigating, and acting swiftly and decisively against corruption.

Junipah urged society to act as MACC's eyes and ears, stressing that it is a collective duty to eliminate corruption. The responsibility to prevent graft from taking root was presented as a shared obligation. The Langkawi MACC branch, initially established on Dec 1, 1993, in the Tabung Haji building, was relocated to the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) complex in 1996.