MACC chief calls for research findings to shape policies, institutions

PUTRAJAYA: Findings from research into governance, integrity and anti-corruption issues should be translated into policies and institutional improvements, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said.

He said 50 research topics involving governance, integrity and anti-corruption issues had been selected and undertaken by local research entities through grants under the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC) from 2020 to 2025.

"Research is important to identify weaknesses in systems, assess risks, measure policy effectiveness and propose more sustainable improvements," he said in his speech at the 5th National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Research Conference here today.

Halim said public policy formulation needed to be strengthened through quality research, valid data and comprehensive analysis so that decisions made truly benefited the people and the country as a whole.

"In realising the aspirations of Malaysia Madani, public policy formulation needs to be strengthened through quality research, valid data and comprehensive analysis so that every decision made truly benefits the people and the country as a whole.

"This approach is in line with the practice of evidence-based policymaking, which is increasingly being adopted internationally, whereby policies are formulated based on evidence, data and objective assessments," he said.

Halim said the research findings had been presented at national-level research conferences, providing an important platform to highlight the findings and facilitate the exchange of views among researchers, practitioners and stakeholders in governance, integrity and anti-corruption.

To ensure the research findings could be utilised more widely and did not stop at conference presentations, Halim said the MACC had developed a compilation report covering research presented at conferences from 2022 to 2025.

"I hope the research findings and compilation will continue to be utilised as a source of reference in policy formulation, improvement of systems and work processes, as well as the development of evidence-based anti-corruption strategies," he said.

The conference, themed "Madani as a Catalyst for Integrity-Based Governance Towards a Corruption-Free Malaysia", brings together researchers from six public universities to present their findings in strategic areas related to national development.

The universities are the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM).