Coverage by: Sinar Daily
KUALA LUMPUR – Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4) has proposed amendments to be carried out immediately to root out corruption in Malaysia.
The laws are Procurement Act, amend Whistlblower Protection Act, enforce Political Financing Act, mandate asest declaration of ministers and family members, repeal Official Secrets Act and replace it wil Freedom of Information Act and introduce government-linked companies (GLC) Act.
C4 Chairman Edmund Terence Gomez said the GLC Act should look into establishing independent selection board who would be answerable to the parliament.
“No politician should be appointed as chairman and director in statatory bodies,” he said.
Earlier he had question the reasons for delay in amending outdated laws to curb corruption.
Gomez said it was crucial for a minister not to hold more than one porfolio and to limit the powers of ministers in the procurement process.
“There has to be an independent committee under the Procurement process to ensure transparency.
“Directors of GLCs and statutory bodies should not be politicians cannot.
He said Ministry of Finance Incoporated and Federal Lands Commissioner should have independent board members.
He further proposed that ministers could dictate role of statutory bodies but independent board is required to impelemtn policies.
“Don’t corporatise statutory bodies but place then under GLC Act and statutory bodies must report their subsidiaries status in annual report to allow parliament to scutinise,” he said.
Gomez added it was encouraging to see the government raising concerns over corruption but it was crucial to close the gaps in laws to ensure corruption was handled at every level effectively.
