Sunday, October 23, 2005

Malaysia govt under fire as corruption index slips

As a muslim I fell very dissapointed and ashamed when read this article. Most of the muslim country, their corruption index is below 5 out of 10. I hope all the leaders of muslim countries will not continue this bad practice if they want to success not only in world but hereafter. Come on Malaysian, change the government in the 2008 election if the current govenment still not improved the way they managed the country. Be brave to reform for the good of all Malaysian, Malay, Chines, Indian and others.


Malaysia govt under fire as corruption index slips

October 21, 2004, 07:30

Malaysia's opposition criticised the government today after a global corruption index showed the country's ranking slipped despite the new prime minister's anti-graft drive. The Berlin-based anti-corruption group Transparency International said yesterday its latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) showed Malaysia falling two places to 39th out of 146 countries surveyed. Neighbouring Singapore stayed as Asia's most corruption-free nation.

"The adverse CPI 2004 for Malaysia should be a 'wake-up' call for the government and the nation," parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said in a statement. "Without systematic change and political will...there can be no appreciable dent in the fight against graft," he said.

Battling corruption has been among Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's top priorities since taking over from veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad a year ago. Months after he came to power, the land minister was charged for taking kickbacks in a share deal. But Abdullah has so far shied away from challenging senior government or party officials. And the prime minister's hold on the ruling United Malays Nation Organisation is not complete either, as indicated by an inability to get his men into top party posts at the annual UMNO convention last month.

One of Abdullah's stated goals is to raise Malaysia's ranking on the corruption index to 30 by 2008. "It is obvious that negative perceptions continue to dog us in a very fundamental way," said Transparency International Malaysia chief Tunku Aziz. The most damaging comment in the lastest CPI was about Malaysia's public procurement process, still seen to be less than fair and open, he said.

Malaysia is currently embroiled in a growing controversy over possible corruption, waste and shoddy work in government projects such as schools and highways. Two projects are being investigated by Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Agency, including a 1.2 billion ringgit ($316 million) expressway linking central regions with the east coast. - Reuters

Source:http://www.sabcnews.com/world/asia1pacific/0,2172,90327,00.html#

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