Empowering citizens to report corruption by providing free and confidential support, and education on the redress mechanisms available, and carry out strategic advocacy for systemic change.
BACKGROUND
When TI-M launched the Malaysian Corruption Barometer results in May 2014, the findings on corruption reporting were concerning. Of the 2,000 people surveyed, 49% answered ‘No’ to reporting corruption and out of that, 46% stated it was because they were ‘afraid of reprisals’, 27% said they ‘do not know where to report and 27% felt it wouldn’t make any difference.
To strengthen the corruption reporting culture in Malaysia and increase public confidence in the impact of their engagement, TI-M has set up a new toll free “Speak Up” hotline – 1800 220 122. The new toll free service will provide an avenue for the public to speak up on issues concerning corruption. The long-term goal is to impact behavioral change.
TI-M in turn will provide free and confidential advice and educate citizens on: the redress mechanisms available; the process involved in submitting a corruption complaint; and follow up on their corruption report; the protection given under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 and what their rights consist of under this Act. Details of the complaint will be filed in an internal database as a point of reference, helping to track the steps taken by the complainant once they have gone through the official avenues available.
Such tracking will help map the gaps and causes driving corruption.
By engaging directly with and supporting the public, TI-M empowers citizens to voice and seek redress on individual complaints and consequentially strengthen democracy and the rule of law. The real-time data gathered will identify corruption hotspots that can then be used for strategic advocacy to demand reforms, in turn, bringing about systemic change in public policy and practice.
OBJECTIVES
- Strengthen the corruption reporting culture in Malaysia;
- Increase public confidence in the impact of their engagement;
- Promote freedom of expression, transparency and accountability;
- Enable corruption practices to be exposed, monitored and resolved whilst taking effective action to advocate against and tackle impunity;
- Empower citizens to voice and seek redress on individual complaints;
- Gather real-time data and identify corruption hotspots to demand reforms and bring systemic change in public policy and practice.
ACTIVITIES
- Set up of the toll free “Speak Up” hotline, Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm, which will be fully operational in the first quarter of 2015.
- Developed posters and brochures on reporting corruption in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Tamil for distribution to the public to raise awareness and to speak up on corruption.
- Mobile visit and “Speak Up Against Corruption” Workshop with the Orang Asli community in Bidor, Perak.
- Engagement with MACC to collaborate with TI-M on outreach programmes and workshops.
- Established a Partners Forum called “Coalition for Good Governance, Integrity, Accountability and Transparency”, (“GIAT”) consisting of 6 members from CSOs, i.e. TI-M, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), IDEAS, Citizens Network for a Better Malaysia (CNBM), Friends of Kota Damansara and Sinar Project to assist TI-M with information sharing, promote the Speak Up Hotline and collaborate on advocacy and case referral.
- TI database set up, capturing data on complaints received on corruption.
- Signing a Memorandum of Understanding with MACC to collaborate and co-ordinate efforts to encourage the public to report corruption.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
- Producing a handbook on corruption, reporting avenues and anti-corruption laws for distribution to the public.
- Conducting workshops and mobile visits with other Orang Asli communities in the States of Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Selangor.
- Official launch of the “Speak Up” campaign.
