Public must have courage to call out those who are corrupt: Dzulkifli

KUALA LUMPUR: The public must not only say no to the practise of corruption, but must also have the courage to call out those who are corrupt, said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad.
He said law enforcement efforts and the implementation of monitoring mechanisms alone were inadequate should there be no collective responsibility.
Dzulkifli said the fight against corruption should be the journey and the war that should be waged together between the anti-graft body and the society at large.
"If we as citizens stand by and do nothing, then we ourselves are to be blamed for allowing corruption to continue eroding the gains of our hard-fought democracy.
"It is vital that we create a society imbued with integrity that has the courage to say no and stand up not only against corruption, but those who are corrupt as well," he said during his keynote address at the 8th Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) Forum, here, today.
The forum is a biennial event involving anti-corruption agencies from several countries, with this year's theme being The Role of Society Towards the Fight Against Corruption and Building Integrity.
Malaysia plays host for the second time, the first being on Oct 15, 2004.
Dzulkifli, speaking in front of some 50 anti-corruption officers, said they must work towards spreading the message that there is no tolerance when it comes to corruption.
"If we do not do this now, then we risk undermining our collective commitment to fighting corruption," he said.