Putrajaya (Malaysia), 9 August 2024 - In line with a whole-of-government approach to address corruption, in a collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Malaysian Government agencies and ministries, led by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), convened to build consensus on gaps and opportunities for reforms and to prioritize next steps, using insights from the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Implementation Review Mechanism.
"With the adoption of the new Strategy, it is timely to reflect on Malaysia’s progress in relation to UNCAC, notably using Malaysia’s UNCAC review recommendations as an opportunity to identify areas for possible action, and to highlight Malaysia’s good practices and the reforms already taken,” said Annika Wythes, Team Lead for UNODC’s Anti-Corruption Hub for Southeast Asia.
During the three-day discussion, Dato’ Mohd Hafaz bin Nazar, Director of Policy, Planning and Research Division of the MACC, reiterated the importance of international cooperation in preventing, investigating, and recovering the proceeds of corruption. An inter-agency meeting such as this is a valuable opportunity to "leverage collective experiences and strides taken to address corruption for a transparent, accountable and prosperous Malaysia,” Dato’ Nazar said.
The discussion also benefited from the experience of Laode M. Syarif, Executive Director of the Partnership for Governance Reform (KEMITRAAN) and former Commissioner of Indonesia’s Komisi Pembanterasan Korupsi (KPK), who contributed his expertise on conflicts of interest, revolving door and political financing.
The participants determined key priority areas for reforms in Malaysia, including:
The UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism provides key insights into States parties progress on addressing corruption in line with the Convention. The participants showed a desire for the Mechanism to continue beyond its current cycle, as it provides opportunities to reflect on a country’s progress and is a tool to help come to a consensus on the way forward to be better united against corruption.
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