Bad graft index score? Fahmi says Malaysia’s CPI report noted progress

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 14 — Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil today brushed off the criticism towards Malaysia’s latest corruption perception index score, saying the same report had commended the Anwar Administration for making some progress.

Fahmi said Transparency International-Malaysia highlighted positive achievements, including praising the government for its anti-corruption drive and the rollout of new laws such as the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

“When we studied the statement by TI-M it did state eight things that it considered to be positive on the part of the government, among others, the introduction of the Fiscal Responsibility Act,” he said at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing here.

“But at the same time, as what the Law Minister had said, we are working on a few issues this year that are quite progressive, including (the rollout) of the Parliamentary Services Act,” the minister added.

Malaysia’s CPI score for 2024 remained at 50 to stay unchanged from the previous year even as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made the fight against corruption a top agenda of his leadership, with several high profile arrests in the two years since he took office.

The country also retained its 57th position among 180 nations surveyed, despite ambitions to be among the top 25 by 2033.

The watchdog group said that among reasons for the stagnant result were persistent corruption in the public sector, slow institutional reforms, and concerns over political interference in the judiciary.

High-profile cases of discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) and reduced sentences for convicted figures have fuelled perceptions of weak enforcement.

TI-M said that while the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) continues to crack down on corruption, cases such the RM8 million vape smuggling scandal at KLIA highlight ongoing abuses of power.