Publicity for anti-graft drive

February 13^th 2007 - The Star Paper (Malaysia)

KUALA LUMPUR: A public relations blitz to outline the national drive against corruption and the promotion of integrity is in the offing. 

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who disclosed this, added that the Government did not have a good public relations unit to counter criticisms that not enough was being done to stamp out corruption and improve integrity.  

He cited the example of the Singapore Government, which had an effective public relations unit in the Prime Minister's Department. 

Explaining the Government's actions, Nazri said the decision to create the Institute of Integrity Malaysia was among the many proactive measures taken to create a corruption-free society. 

He said the public were partly responsible for corruption, pointing to a recent study where respondents claimed that they tolerated a small level of corrupt activities. 

"The Transparency International's 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index is an important indicator in the Government's fight against corruption,"Nazri said in a luncheon address at the World Ethics and Transparency Forum here yesterday.

"We are seeking suggestions to help strengthen the law, including improving the Anti-Corruption Agency."

Earlier, during the opening ceremony, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said Malaysia's score on the index was inaccurate as it was different from that of other countries. 

He said the Government was promoting good ethics and morals in the public and the private sectors as the keys to good corporate governance. 

Transparency International Malaysia president Tan Sri Ramon V. Navaratnam said a recent survey showed that the public was dissatisfied with efforts carried out on transparency and good governance. 

"The survey was done on 1,000 corporations, which included 300 individuals, over a period of six months. The results will be made public in a few weeks,"he said.  

Ramon said Malaysia placed 44 among 163 countries surveyed on Transparency International's 2006 index, scoring five out of 10 points.  

A score of 10 points denotes a "clean" economy, and one point a "highly corrupt state."