Despite years of proactive government efforts to curb corruption, the problem remains pervasive. News reports of arrests, court prosecutions and exposés of misconduct — including abuse of power involving public servants — continue to dominate media headlines.
This three-part series takes an in-depth look at corruption in Malaysia, examining government and enforcement efforts, as well as expert perspectives on what improvements can be made.
Based on media reports citing authorities, including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), it can be concluded that corruption remains deeply entrenched in the country, particularly within the public sector.
In the past, low salaries — especially among law enforcement officers — were often cited as a cause of corrupt practices. However, these officers have now received, and will continue to enjoy salary increases of more than 13 per cent - the highest adjustment in the history of the public service — under the MADANI government’s initiative.
So, what more do public servants want?
CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX (CPI)
A review of Malaysia’s standing in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) over the past decade shows that the country’s best ranking was 51st (score: 53) in 2018, while its worst was 62nd (score: 48) in 2017 and 2021.
Most recently, Malaysia has remained stagnant at 57th place (score: 50) for two consecutive years since 2023.
(The CPI is an annual ranking by Transparency International that measures perceived levels of public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories worldwide, with scores ranging from zero — highly corrupt — to 100 — very clean.)
Despite fluctuations in ranking, Malaysia aims to be among the world’s top 25 countries by 2033, which would require a score of between 68 and 70.
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To achieve this, the government, through MACC, is implementing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), focusing on strengthening integrity, transparency and accountability across various sectors, including politics, public administration, government procurement, law enforcement, legal and judicial institutions, the private sector and the general public.
NACS comprises five strategies and 60 sub-strategies to be implemented over a five-year period from 2024 until 2028.
ARRESTS, PROSECUTIONS, LOSSES
According to MACC, corruption refers to the receipt or giving of gratification as an inducement or reward for a person to perform or refrain from performing an act related to official duties.
Gratification includes money, gifts, bonuses, votes, services, positions, wages and discounts. For example, a contractor gifting a luxury watch to a government officer for approving a project awarded to the contractor’s company.
Corruption offences include soliciting and accepting bribes, submitting false claims, abuse of power, as well as offering and giving bribes.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki revealed that Malaysia suffered losses of approximately RM277 billion over five years since 2018 due to corruption — an amount far from insignificant.
Meanwhile, MACC Monitoring and Coordination Division director Mohamad Tarmize Abdul Manaf was quoted on the MACC portal as saying that between 2019 and 2023, 2,163 public servants were arrested for various corruption-related offences. This represented 43.3 per cent of the total 4,996 arrests recorded during the same period.
“Almost every day, public servants are arrested for corruption. It is hard to comprehend such betrayal of trust. Each arrest inevitably raises questions among the public.
‘Are those involved not afraid of the law? How did their actions go unnoticed by supervisors or department heads? Are their superiors also involved?’” he said.
As arrests increase, public scrutiny over the integrity and moral standards of public servants continues to intensify.
PUBLIC PERCEPTION
To gauge public sentiment on corruption and public servants, Bernama took to the streets to interview members of the public.
A livestock entrepreneur who wished to be known only as Mohd Fairuz admitted to witnessing “unpleasant episodes” while dealing with meat supply tenders.
“Based on my experience in livestock-related tenders, I see serious issues, especially involving those with ‘connections’.
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“As long as discretionary power exists and gifts or tokens are considered acceptable, corruption will persist,” he said, adding that heavier punishments should be imposed on both bribe givers and recipients.
He also called for authorities to seize all assets if individuals are proven guilty of corruption, while urging the media to intensify public awareness efforts.
For Faiz, a street vendor, although he has never personally witnessed corruption, he has heard many such stories from fellow traders, particularly involving enforcement officers.
“Who are we supposed to trust if even those in uniform are involved? These are people we respect and admire for serving the nation.
“Unfortunately, some fall when tempted by bribes, whether small or large,” he said.
The young man also expressed frustration over abuse of power among politicians and hopes MACC will take firm action against them regardless of rank or influence.
Others feel there appears to be discrimination in corruption prosecutions, as many cases highlighted in the media involve mostly lower-ranking public servants.
“There are cases involving high-ranking individuals and millions of ringgit, but after being brought to court, they are eventually acquitted due to technicalities,” said a car salesman who declined to be named.
In reality, MACC has charged many high-ranking individuals over fund misappropriation and other offences, although many of these cases remain in court years after charges were first mentioned.
MULTIPLE FACTORS
Commenting on the issue, Malaysian Corruption Watch (MCW) president Jais Abdul Karim said corruption is not merely individual misconduct but reflects weaknesses in governance structures and a culture of compromise on integrity.
He said several factors contribute to corruption, including weak internal control systems and enforcement.
“When procedures are not strictly followed and oversight is lax, opportunities for abuse of power and position manipulation become widespread. This makes integrity difficult to uphold and justice easily compromised.
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“Additionally, a materialistic culture and misunderstanding of power and trust contribute to corruption. In the pursuit of wealth and status, some are willing to sacrifice principles for personal gain. Power meant to serve the people becomes a tool for self-enrichment,” he told Bernama.
Jais also cited a lack of transparency in appointment processes and tender procurement as factors that create opportunities for corruption.
Such situations, he said, fuel negative perceptions of public institutions and erode public confidence in the system.
“When selection processes are not conducted openly and transparently, it opens the door to cronyism and abuse of power.
“More worrying is the absence of moral courage to reject bribes. Individuals know it is wrong but remain silent or accept it because it is ‘common practice’, normalising corruption as something ordinary rather than a serious crime,” he stressed.
He added that economic pressure and unequal opportunities also drive unethical behaviour.
Rising living costs and limited job opportunities push some individuals to seek shortcuts to increase income without considering the long-term consequences for society and the nation.
“Although Malaysia has recorded slight improvements in the CPI, corruption remains a thorn in the flesh. Beyond statistics and official reports, realities on the ground show corruption has become systemic, spreading from top offices to everyday dealings.
“For MCW, corruption is no longer merely about greedy individuals, but a reflection of structural weaknesses in governance and a society increasingly lax about integrity,” he said.
STILL DIFFICULT TO CURB
Jais said that despite awareness campaigns by various parties, without firm action, such efforts will only have temporary impact.
Malaysia, he stressed, needs strong political will, comprehensive institutional reform and continuous moral and values education — without which prevention efforts risk becoming annual rhetoric.
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“Beyond implementing agencies, including the government and enforcement bodies, the voice of the people can drive reform in opposing corruption. MCW believes the fight against corruption is not solely the responsibility of enforcement agencies, but a national jihad that must be shouldered collectively by all citizens,” he said.
He added that non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including MCW, must play a proactive role as educators and watchdogs to curb corruption at the grassroots level.
As a corruption watchdog, MCW firmly believes that the people’s voice must be elevated as the voice of reform, while nurturing a younger generation brave enough to defend integrity.
Jais acknowledged government initiatives such as the NACS, the STAR Taskforce and the proposed Government Procurement Act 2025, but said these measures remain insufficient.
“True success in the war against corruption is not measured by the number of arrests, but by changes in mindset and culture.
“When society views corruption as a moral disgrace, when young people proudly say ‘I reject corruption’, and when leaders are respected for integrity rather than wealth — only then will Malaysia truly triumph in this jihad against corruption,” he said.
PUNISHMENT AND REWARDS
According to MACC, individuals convicted of corruption face imprisonment of up to 20 years and fines of up to five times the value of the bribe.
For non-monetary bribes, such as sexual favours, fines of RM10,000 or more may be imposed.
For public servants, imprisonment may result in the loss of benefits, including pension entitlements.
This is stipulated under Section 21(1) of the Pensions Act 1980, which states that if a pension recipient is sentenced to death or imprisonment, the pension or benefits shall cease immediately.
In other words, even a one-day jail sentence may result in the loss of all benefits.
Assets obtained through corrupt activities will also be seized and forfeited to the Malaysian Government under Sections 40 and 41 of the MACC Act 2009, or Sections 55 and 56 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFAPUAA).
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The MACC Act 2009 also mandates imprisonment for corruption offences, with sentencing dependent on the value and severity of the offence.
Asset forfeiture may be carried out whether or not the offender is prosecuted in court.
Additionally, the identities of convicted offenders are published on the MACC official portal via the Corruption Offenders Database, which is used by employers and foreign embassies when assessing job applications or visa requests.
Offenders’ details remain in the database for three years from the date of conviction.
MACC also recognises public servants who demonstrate integrity by rejecting and reporting bribes.
This is outlined in the circular Guidelines on Recognition for Public Servants Who Report the Offering or Acceptance of Bribes, issued on May 11, 2011.
The initiative aims to encourage reporting of corruption and recognise public servants who uphold high integrity.
Under the circular, whistleblowers are eligible for recognition and financial rewards, typically equivalent to the value of the bribe offered.
Based on MACC data, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) topped the list of public service groups that received recognition and rewards for lodging reports with the MACC on the offering or acceptance of bribes from 2012 until last year.
PDRM officers and personnel accounted for the highest number of recipients, with 386 out of the 550 public servants recognised during that period.
They were followed by the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) with 48 recipients, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritime Malaysia) with 25, and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living with 15, while the remainder came from other government agencies.
For the record, the highest reward ever granted to a public servant for reporting corruption was RM100,000.
— BERNAMA
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