Five pillars to steer MACC as it enters sixth decade

KUALA LUMPUR: Integrity without compromise, fair enforcement, proactive prevention, greater use of technology and public trust will form the five pillars steering the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as it approaches six decades in the fight against graft.

MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said the five pillars would guide the commission's administration and direction as corruption becomes increasingly complex and evolves alongside technology.

Speaking in an interview in conjunction with MACC's 59th anniversary recently, Halim said the commission could not afford to remain static.

He said the corruption landscape had changed significantly over the years, requiring MACC to continually transform and adapt its approach to remain relevant and capable of con-fronting emerging threats.

"Integrity is the main bulwark in the fight against corruption. It cannot be compromised for any reason, whether in making decisions, conducting investigations or carrying out daily responsibilities," he said.

Halim said this meant MACC would act against corruption regardless of the rank, position or background of those investigated, while demanding the same standards of integrity from its own officers.

"Integrity must become a culture, not merely a rule. It must be reflected in every action, decision and in the way we carry out the trust placed in us by the people."

FAIR AND EQUITABLE ENFORCE-MENT

On the second pillar, Halim said enforcement must be grounded in the law, evidence and principles of justice, and without fear, favour or influence from vested interests.

He cited MACC's decision to suspend the use of orange lock-up attire for persons under investigation during remand proceedings as an example of balancing firm enforcement with the rights and dignity of individuals who were yet to be found guilty in court.

"We can be firm against corruption while respecting the rights, dignity and principles of justice of every individual under investigation. That is the true meaning of fair and equitable enforcement."

Halim said the third pillar, pro-active prevention, reflected MACC's push to identify systemic weaknesses and close loopholes before they developed into more serious corruption and caused greater losses.

This includes strengthening public education and awareness, as well as examining practices, systems and procedures in public bodies to identify weaknesses that could be manipulated for corrupt purposes.

MACC, he said, was also increasingly adopting intelligence-based investigations instead of merely waiting for reports to be lodged.

"We want to act before the problem becomes bigger."

EXPANDING USE OF TECH

Technology and transparency form the fourth pillar, with MACC expanding the use of digital technology, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen its operational capabilities.

Halim said intelligence-based inves-tigations allowed MACC to identify indicators, patterns, connections and risks through information gathered from various sources.

The combination of data analytics, AI and digital systems could allow investigators to process large volumes of information faster, identify anomalies, trace financial flows and uncover connections that might be difficult to detect through conventional methods.

However, he stressed that technology remained a tool, with inves-tigators still responsible for evaluating, verifying and interpreting information and ensuring enforcement action remained within the law.

"We aim to build MACC's capabilities to be faster, more precise and always one step ahead in detecting and combating corruption, without neglecting transparency, account-ability and public trust."

Halim described public trust as the fifth and ultimately crucial pillar.

"Trust cannot be demanded. It has to be built through action, performance, integrity and consistency."

He said the strength of an institution should not be measured solely by the number of cases investigated or enforcement actions taken, but also by its ability to maintain integrity, professionalism and public confidence.

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ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIES

Against this backdrop, Halim said MACC had identified four enforcement priorities for this year: government procurement, enforcement, public funds or special government allocations, and government revenue.

He said the four areas were selected because they involved substantial sums of money as well as powers and responsibilities entrusted to certain parties.

Any corruption, abuse of power or leakage in these areas, he said, would ultimately affect the public.

"In government procurement, for example, MACC has been looking across the entire process, from planning and specification-setting to invitations, evaluations, awards and contract implementation, as weaknesses at any stage could create opportunities for manipulation, conflicts of interest or leakages.

"The intensified approach has already resulted in significant enforcement activity this year," he said.

He explained that between January and Aug 31, MACC received 5,239 pieces of information, opened 842 investigation papers and made 803 arrests.

It also recorded 345 prosecutions and 97 convictions during the period.

"Of the 803 arrests, 311 involved civil servants.

"Based on the breakdown by offence, 352 arrests involved receiving bribes, 278 involved false claims, 78 involved giving bribes, 62 involved abuse of position, 12 involved money laundering and 21 involved other offences," he said.

He added that from January to July 31, MACC also recorded RM55.31 million in forfeitures, compounds and settlements, comprising RM12.28 million in forfeitures, RM42.24 million in compounds and RM786,556 in settlements.

BEYOND THE STATISTICS

However, Halim cautioned against judging MACC's performance solely by statistics.

He said the more important measure was whether enforcement could bring offenders before the courts, recover misappropriated funds, protect public money, address weaknesses and prevent entrusted powers from being abused.

"Numbers are not the only meas-ure of success," he said.

Looking towards MACC's diamond jubilee next year, Halim said the com-mission was also strengthening expertise in areas like data analytics, AI, digital forensics, digital assets, complex financial investigations and cross-border investigations.

"Internal processes would also be streamlined and digitalised where possible without weakening safe-guards and integrity.

"Corruption continues to evolve alongside borderless technology, increasingly involving complex and layered financial transactions across digital platforms, requiring MACC to similarly transform its structure, expertise and methods.

"We aim to build an organisation capable not only of dealing with pre-sent-day corruption but also threats that could emerge over the next 10 or 20 years.

"We cannot use yesterday's methods to deal with tomorrow's corruption crimes.

"MACC must continue to change, adapt and stay one step ahead," he said.