MACC chief Azam Baki says strong, uncompromising political will is essential for effective governance and anti-corruption reforms.
KUALA LUMPUR: Firm leadership and a pervasive culture of integrity are more critical to fighting corruption than the strength of laws alone, according to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
He argued that even the most robust system would fail under weak leadership that compromises with corrupt practices.
“The success or failure of any system is not determined by laws alone, but by leadership,” Azam said in his keynote address at the Wacana Ilmiah Perdana programme organised by Asia e University today.
He added that clear, firm and uncompromising political will within the leadership could drive reforms towards more efficient, transparent and robust governance even without a strong system in place.
Azam outlined that the MACC is implementing a three-pronged approach encompassing enforcement, prevention and efficient management.
This framework of thinking must be embedded across the national ecosystem to close gaps and opportunities for corruption, he explained.
“This is because corruption does not stem solely from individuals, but from systems that still allow room and opportunity for it to occur,” he noted.
The MACC has identified three high-risk sectors as key focus areas, namely government procurement involving cartel or monopoly issues, border enforcement, and the leakage of public funds affecting people’s interests.
Azam added that such unethical practices today involve complex networks spanning public, corporate, financial and international spheres, requiring comprehensive solutions.
His speech was briefly disrupted by two non-governmental organisation activists, who were later escorted out of the hall by security personnel.