Msia’s drops a notch in CPI score, but retains placing
By Alyaa Alhadjiri, The Sun
Malaysia dropped a notch in its Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score, from 4.5 last year to 4.4 out of 10 this year.
However, it retained its 56th ranking, on par with Namibia and Turkey, out of 178 countries surveryed.
Last year, Malaysia also ranked 56th out of 180 countries listed on the CPI which ranks countries based on how corrupt its public sector is perceived to be.
This year, the top three countries that jointly scored 9.3 out of 10 on the index scale were Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore.
The results were announced by TI-Malaysia president Datuk Paul Low at a press conference here today.
Low attributed the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) fiasco and the “Lingam tape” scandals as several cases which that had adversely affected public’s perception on corruption in the country, leading to the drop in its score.
“Other areas include the continuing and snowballing practise of awarding mega projects and contracts without open tenders or competitive bidding, and no Integrity Pacts (IPs) implemented to date,” he said.
Noting that Malaysia is currently in a transition period towards becoming a high-income nation, Low urged the government to show stronger political will in fighting corruption.
“We need solid commitment from government, without fear or favour. Although positive steps have been taken to eradicate corruption, there have been problems with implementation and confidence building improvements,” he said.
Low said while efforts such as the National Key Results Areas launched in May was a step in the right direction, its true impact on public’s perception is yet to be seen.
“This is because perception is based on past experiences. It’s only when the results of these initiatives have affected the people, that will we see a radical change in public’s perception,” he said.
Low believes it will take another two years before Malaysia can improve on its ranking.
Based on the CPI, Low said there is a “direct correlation” between the level of corruption and the economic development of a nation.
He said many foreign investors use the CPI as a barometer to gage the level of public’s confidence, before making a decision to invest in a country.
“Having a high CPI ranking can be a way for Malaysia to attract more foreign direct investments,” said Low who recommended several measures that can be taken to improve Malaysia’s rankings.
“Among others, he said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should be given prosecution powers and made answerable directly to a parliamentary committee, making it more autonomous and independent.
“Freedom of information also needs to be upheld by repealing the Official Secrets Act, Sedition Act and Printing Press and Publications Act,” he added.
