KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Shamshun Baharin Mohd Jamil has called on members of the community to walk the talk and have the courage to say no to corruption and report such acts to the authorities.
Shamshun Baharin, who retires in September, urged Malaysians to play their role in combating any form of corruption, adding that every individual should be a ‘frontliner’ in the fight against the crime, as any information channelled or reported would assist the MACC in conducting investigations.
On the development of the agency over the years, Shamshun Baharin said the transformation of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to the MACC was among the key efforts by the country to transform it into a larger and more transparent entity.
He said the transformation included a modern information technology system as part of the anti-corruption agency’s efforts to become a more independent enforcement agency.
“I presented the matter to the then prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, until it became a reality in 2009,” he said, adding that he assisted in the day-to-day operations and development of the IT system known as the Corruption Reporting Information System (CRIS).
“Now, the system is used in the daily tasks of MACC staff and the process of improving CRIS is still ongoing based on current needs, to ensure its effectiveness,” he said.
Shamshun Baharin said he had worked on various programmes and efforts with regard to corruption prevention while he was the MACC Community Education Division director and when appointed as the Deputy Chief Commissioner (Prevention).
“Various new approaches have been made to ensure that the anti-corruption message is conveyed to all sections of the community, among them, the organisation of community outreach programmes.
“For example, the Perdana Walkabout Programme in conjunction with the International Anti-Corruption Day (HARA), MACC’s ‘Ziarah Kasih’ Programme, Anti-Corruption Tour (KEJAR), ‘Himpunan Dua Roda’ (H2R) and others, with the involvement of MACC’s top management,” he said.
Asked about his plans after retirement, he said the priority was to build a house for himself, as during his service with the MACC, he had never owned his own home. – Bernama
