KUCHING: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should boost its anti-corruption efforts and focus on more serious cases of corrupt practices in order to restore public confidence.
“Serious consideration for MACC to be placed under Parliament’s purview ought to be made, which will ensure better check and balance and accountability,” said Sarawak Community Policing Association (SCPA) secretary David Xavier Hii Chin Loung.
He noted that Transparency International’s 2020 Corruption Perception Index ranked Malaysia at 57th place out of 180 countries in the world.
As such, he said it was fair to say that the majority of the public perceived corruption levels in Malaysia to be relatively high.
“In Malaysia, MACC is the only entity which can investigate corruption and abuse of power. Therefore, MACC’s actions will definitely have an effect on the public’s corruption perception.
“Corruption also has an adverse effect on our nation by causing great financial losses.”
He said this when contacted for his views on Senator Robert Lau Hui Yew’s recent statement criticising MACC for highlighting the misuse of sick leave as a corrupt practice by the medical profession through a 30-second video clip uploaded on the commission’s website.
The video, which was later removed after receiving backlash from members of the medical field and netizens, depicted a corrupt doctor selling bogus medical certificates.