Felda to include MACC staff in its integrity unit

JOHOR BARU: The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) will include several officers and personnel from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in the Felda Integrity Unit to ensure that the institution is transparent and free of corruption.
Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abd Samad (pix) said this was proposed by MACC to address the issue of Malaysia's ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2017, which fell from 55 to 62 out of 180 countries.
"Felda will always take open and transparent measures, and we have previously signed the Anti-Corruption Pledge (IBR) implemented by the MACC. The move to place MACC staff in Felda is also a follow-up move we have taken to address corruption.
"The Felda Board of Directors' meeting last week had given the approval (for this matter) and discussions are currently ongoing on the number of staff to be placed in the Felda Integrity Unit, which will be determined by the MACC," he told reporters after attending a Chinese New Year Celebration with residents of Taman Suria here, today.
He added that the deployment of MACC staff and officers in the unit will be done no later than two months from now, and that the Felda Integrity Unit led by these people would carry out monitoring and inspection tasks, besides training staff.
"They (MACC personnel) will conduct inspections as well as provide information and training to Felda staff and officers on the processes and procedures involving major issues such as finance, contracts and many other integrity related issues.
"The Felda Integrity Unit has long been established, it's just that this time we want to multiply the unit's efforts by placing MACC staff there," he said.
According to the index released by Transparency International (TI) on Feb 22, the fall of Malaysia's CPI position in 2017 from 55 to 62 was due to several high profile cases still under investigation, including the scandal involving Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd. — Bernama