KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Zuki Ali today stated that there remains potential for collective efforts to advance Malaysia’s standing in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), with the aim to reach the top 25 globally by 2033.
He said this includes accelerating the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), which replaces the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) that began in 2019 and ended in 2023.
“As we are aware, the government, through the Mid-Term Review of the 12th Malaysia Plan and the NACP previously, has established strategies and actions that require commitment from the public and private sectors.
“However, issues of leakages, abuse of power, and corruption still cannot be fully restrained,” he said when delivering a speech to officiate the 10th Convocation Ceremony of Certified Integrity Officers at Dewan Tun Hussein Onn, World Trade Centre here.
In this regard, he said the graduates of today’s convocation ceremony need to be aware and clear about the roles that need to be played in their respective departments and companies and subsequently lead their organisations towards better administration.
“(The) NACP previously focused on strengthening governance, integrity, and anti-corruption in the public sector to enhance efficiency and transparency in government administration.
“However, the importance of strengthening integrity and anti-corruption in the private sector should not be underestimated and should be one of the main agendas in this noble effort,” he said.
Therefore, he said the government would introduce the NACS 2024-2029 as a continuation of the NACP, which is an initiative to implement administration based on good governance that will undoubtedly benefit society.
“I understand that the NACS 2024-2029 is expected to be launched in the middle of this year. It will focus on the effectiveness of corruption prevention and enhancing good governance and integrity in the administration of the public service and government-linked companies (GLCs),” he said.
Zuki also expressed congratulations on the country’s success in improving the CPI score in 2023 from 47 to 50 points with a four-rung increase, from 61st place to 57th out of a total of 180 countries assessed.
— Bernama
