Malaysia is active with its fight against bribery and corruption. The official body that deals with the cases of fraud, corruption and other matters that pertain to deception are the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC.) MACC is a government organization with the power to investigate and prosecute any organization or entity working in a public or private domain. MACC can initiate the investigation based on evidence or launch a routine check of any company in the country. MACC follows the same model of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption and the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Cracking Down on Bribery
For a thriving economy like Malaysia, the battle against corruption is an ongoing one. Several initiatives have been taken by the government to crackdown on corruption and ensure there are swift checks to curb fraudulent activity that encourages bribery and corruption.
Encouraging Organizations
The country’s prime focus is to empower, encourage, and promote those working bodies that take initiatives in their organizations to bring down bribery. MACC encourages corporations to adopt an anti-corruption policy to forestall corruption. The laws against fraud are strict and can lead to penalties, cancelation of business licenses, and even imprisonment. Likewise, the regulations do not view bribes paid to a public official or paid within the private sector any differently.
Continuation of Enforcement
There have been many amendments in MACC from time to time so they can strengthen their bribery Malaysia measures. For instance, the MACC introduced the company liability policy. Under the company liability policy amendment, the companies could no longer stay unaccountable if corrupt practices linked to the employees or workers of the company. It is the companies’ responsibility to enforce ethical practices, make audits, and ensure no one at any desk indulges in any bribery act. Ultimately, the criminal act’s responsibility will fall upon the top-tier management and the organization for the corrupt practices of their workers.
Malaysia still has a long way to go, as bribery Malaysia does not seem to settle down despite the government’s efforts. The general public perception of government efforts is also not promising. A quarter of the surveyed households contemplate the government’s efforts to be ineffective in the battle towards corruption. The country continues to bring more amendments to strengthen its anti-bribery policy and enforce strict laws to punish those who are accountable for bribery, corruption to give undue favor in business dealings like awarding contracts.
