Break The Chain Of Corruption

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Corruption today wears many faces. It no longer arrives as a plain envelope stuffed with cash.
It arrives dressed as luxury watches, fully paid vacations, undisclosed land deals, or designer handbags exchanged behind closed doors.
These are no longer backroom secrets but part of an evolving ecosystem of abuse, where transactions are rarely documented and almost always rationalised as tokens of appreciation or friendship.
But let us be clear. When any gift or offer is made with the intent to influence decisions or secure unfair advantage, it is a bribe by every legal and moral measure.
ADSWe often refer to corruption as a cancer. But it is not a passive disease. It is a decision made deliberately, and repeated in layers across institutions.
In many cases, it is not just the taker who is guilty but also the giver. Without the giver, there would be no receiver. In this, both hands are stained.
Too often, the public only sees headlines about government officers charged in court. But we forget the corporate hands, the business tycoons, the so-called friends of the system who initiate these exchanges.
This culture of giving to gain has infected the civil service. Within many agencies, there exists a quiet understanding. Some positions come with “benefits,” not stated in policy but ingrained in practice.
Over time, this normalisation of corrupt exchanges becomes an expectation. Entire procurement ecosystems become tailored around it. And when one race dominates a department, especially in enforcement agencies, a layer of ethnocentric protectionism begins to form.
This is not a racist accusation, but a structural reality that must be acknowledged if we are serious about reform. The civil service must reflect the diversity of the nation it serves. It is diversity, not domination, that strengthens integrity.
The MACC is often accused of being selective. There are officers within the agency whose reputations are not spotless. That is a fact.
But there are also many who are honest, professional, and willing to pursue justice at great personal risk. The same is true in other departments.
Our fight against corruption cannot be about blanket condemnation, but about restoring the culture of integrity, department by department.
The MACC Act 2009 is clear. Under Section 17(b), giving or offering a bribe is just as serious as receiving one. The law does not differentiate in terms of severity. If convicted, the sentence can go up to 20 years in prison with fines of at least five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher. This is not a symbolic threat. It is the law.
Silence and protection fuel corruption
Yet, how often are givers brought to court? How many businesspeople have been banned from government contracts after offering bribes? The public is watching. They are not naive.
ADSIt must also be remembered that under Section 25 of the same Act, failure to report an attempted bribery is a punishable offence. Any individual who does not report a solicitation of a bribe may face imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of RM10,000. Silence is not neutrality. It is complicity.
Unfortunately, what keeps this culture alive is the inner circle of protection. Officers cover up for one another. Files go missing. Investigations stall. Promotions are protected. And slowly, the institution becomes less about service and more about survival.
This is the rot that ordinary citizens see but feel powerless to stop. And when political leaders fail to act decisively, it reinforces the belief that power protects itself.
That is why the public’s role is vital. Civil society must never stop demanding accountability. Whistleblowers must be protected, not punished. The government must ensure confidentiality for those who report wrongdoing. No tip-off should lead to intimidation. No honest voice should be silenced.
The cost of unchecked corruption is not just economic. It leads to poor hospitals, delayed infrastructure, inflated contracts, and failed services. It destroys trust, erodes justice, and corrodes national morale.
We must not allow a few to profit while the majority pays the price. - Mkini
MAHATHIR MOHD RAIS is a former Federal Territories Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional secretary.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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