KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has called on ministry secretaries-general and department directors-general to prioritise whistleblower protection to strengthen governance and elevate Malaysia's position in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by 2030.
MACC’s National Governance Planning Division deputy director Mohd Gunawan Che Ab Aziz said the move is critical to remove civil servants' fear of reporting misconduct and, in turn, bolster organisational integrity.
He said secretaries-general and directors-general must translate the government's commitment to amending the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 down to the grassroots level, to ensure that the Integrity Unit in every ministry functions independently and reports directly to the MACC.
"The Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan (OACP) must also serve as a key performance indicator (KPI) for promotions of high-ranking officers, to ensure the anti-corruption agenda is carried out effectively," he said in a commentary piece titled "Upholding the CPI Mandate: Radical Reform Now in the Hands of Secretaries-General and Directors-General."
Mohd Gunawan said that beyond strengthening whistleblower protection, secretaries-general and directors-general must lead comprehensive reforms in public procurement and contract systems, including full open tenders and mandatory declarations of beneficial ownership for all bidding companies.
He said the move is in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024-2028 to curb cronyism and proxy practices. He also hopes the Government Procurement Act will be expedited to provide a stronger legal framework.
He further proposed fully digitalising government service delivery to reduce discretion and physical interactions that could lead to corruption.
He said AI systems, algorithm-driven automatic approvals, and digital audit trails would enhance transparency and allow irregularities to be detected in real-time.
"Moreover, every ministry must adopt stricter accountability concerning reprimands in the Auditor-General's Report, including setting a maximum three-month period to execute corrective or disciplinary action for weaknesses raised.
"This approach must be supported by open data policies to allow ministerial expenditure to be scrutinised transparently by the media and public," he said.
Mohd Gunawan stressed that Malaysia should not be complacent with its current achievement, despite rising to 54th place out of 182 countries in the 2025 CPI with a score of 52 points.
He said the target of reaching the top 25 by 2030 requires a more aggressive and structured shift, with secretaries-general and directors-general leading the way as champions of integrity in the public service.
-- BERNAMA