PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today launched the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP), that outlines 22 strategies and 115 initiatives.
The five-year plan emphasises on six main sectors – politics, public procurement, law enforcement, public sector administration, legal and judiciary, and corporate governance.
The 22 strategies include:
>> introducing new legislation to govern political funding;
>> strengthening the mechanism for enforcing mandatory job rotation for public servants holding sensitive posts;
>> improving the foreign workers centralised management system;
>> ensuring corruption cases are handled by judges and prosecutors experienced in graft cases; and
>> introducing a transparent guideline for the appointment of ministers’ and deputy ministers’ staff, including political and private secretaries.
The five-year plan was developed by the Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) under the Prime Minister’s Department, which was established about a month after Pakatan Harapan (PH) formed the government last year.
“The plan is a warning to everyone, including myself, ministers and others,” said Mahathir, adding that those covered by the plan are members of the current administration and those who will serve in future.
The NACP revealed that RM1.8 trillion was lost by the government through illicit financial flows between 2005 and 2014.
Mahathir said the NACP also introduces a “Prime Minister’s Directive” governing the separation of powers between ministers and secretaries-general.
“This is an effort to separate the government administration from the influence of politics. This is significant to prevent power abuse,” he added.
However, Mahathir said the execution of the 115 initiatives in the NACP, that aims to rid Malaysia of corruption, will need the involvement of everyone – from himself to kindergarten teachers.
“You cannot expect me alone, or only the GIACC to do it. Neither is it just the job of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) or other enforcement agencies to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring corruption-free governance and integrity in the country.”
“It is the responsibility of all quarters to inculcate good values and to (instil) hatred towards corruption among our children.”
Mahathir said the NACP, that replaces the National Integrity Plan launched in 2004, was not meant to address wrongdoings of the past, but to prevent corruption from happening in future.
He said if a coalition that had ruled the country for 61 years could be thrown out via the ballot box, it is vital for the current administration to take heed of the people’s sentiments.
“People were fed up of the previous government’s corrupt practices and that is why they chose us.
“The rakyat collectively used their voting power to reject the previous government and this is a stern statement that corrupt practices by government leaders and civil servants are unacceptable.”
Mahathir said the first move that PH made when it formed the government was to implement mandatory asset declaration for Cabinet members.
“We won the last general election because of our cause to uphold governance and integrity.
“So, we don’t have any other option but to give priority to good governance and integrity because this is why the people chose PH to govern,” he added.
Also present at the launch were Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Abu Bakar, GIACC director-general Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed and other Cabinet ministers.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan were among 22 recipients which included representatives from government agencies and non-governmental organisations who were presented with 2019-2023 NACP books during the event.
