The report says:
"Malaysia is seen as a role model as a nation successful in combating corruption. Many countries look at how we have rapidly progressed and developed since achieving Independence in 1957.Wow! This is a revelation indeed.
"They say we have managed very well to control corruption with our strong political will," she said at the close of the three-day "15th ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific" and "Regional Seminar on the Criminalisation of Bribery" at the Palace of Golden Horses in Seri Kembangan, Selangor yesterday.
Sutinah, who is also the event's secretariat chairman, said the delegates agreed that corruption was a big threat among lesser developed countries and greater initiatives were being put into place by their respective governments.
She said Malaysia had measured up to international standards like those laid out in the "Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act" and other United Nations laws and regulations.
"We have learnt that minimising bureaucracy and delays can reduce corruption. The idea is to promote business without corruption by enhancing confidence-building measures for businessmen and foreign investors."
She said the message was clear -- one does not have to bribe officers; there is no "extra cash" required to do business in Malaysia.
"We are also pushing for matters concerning extradition, asset recovery and other new action plans in a systemic manner with the cooperation of other countries."
Earlier, she said that greater efforts were being made globally to standardise and streamline the understanding and procedures linked with corruption so that it could be tackled effectively.
Excuse me, the shock is too great for me and I need to lie down because I just had a vertigo attack. So giddy ....The news is just too overwhelming for me.
*GULPS*
Is it almost heaven in Malaysia or otherwise? Too much heavenly news?
Absolutely and unbelievably delusional!
In November 2009, The Malaysian Insider reported HERE that Malaysia is now seen to be more corrupt than ever, anti-graft watchdog Transparency International (TI) said in its global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2009 launched today.
Malaysia now ranks 56 out of 180 countries in the world with a corruption index score of 4.5 out of 10, with 10 being the least corrupt, said the world corruption watchdog. Last year, it placed 47 with a CPI score of 5.1.
The annual TI CPI measures how corrupt a country is in the public sector based on data sourced from 13 different polls and surveys from 10 independent institutions over a period of two years. The three least corrupt countries in the world are, in order, New Zealand, Denmark and Singapore.
At that time, Datuk Paul Low, country President of Transparency Internatinal (Malaysia) said intense scrutiny surrounding public scandals exposing money siphoned off public funds, from the long drawn-out multi-billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project to the more recent double-tracking railway project, which went overboard by a whopping RM1.3 billion were clear examples that affected the increasing poor perception.
He said the impression the public gets is of double standards and selective prosecution, adding that the newly empowered Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is only seen to be catching “small fish” and focusing on Barisan Nasional’s (BN) rival political parties.
“The Auditor General’s annual report highlights extraordinary public procurement abuses, but no action appears to have been taken,” he stressed.
Low noted the plunge was serious not only when compared to the country’s perceived past performances but, more importantly, in relation to other countries worldwide and especially those within the Asean region.
At first place is Singapore with far and away the best score, topping 9.0. Even tiny Brunei which was included in the CPI for the first time this year, outstripped Malaysia at 5.5.
Please CLICK THIS LINK to see the latest index for World Corruption Perceptions.
A most appropriate article for us to read this morning to help us flee from delusional dreams and a denial syndrome would be M. Bakri Musa's Lack of Integrity at the Very Top HERE.
In the mean time, I think I'd better try to keep sane by listening to Bee Gees singing Too Much Heaven and John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads!
Ummie Yeah, I've just discover it today.