Global watchdog issues warning over Malaysian ‘corruption crisis’
Global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) has called on the Malaysian government to prosecute and punish the corrupt, irrespective of their ranks.
TI said in a release published Tuesday that Malaysia, which is “facing a major corruption crisis”, must “ensure independent investigations into corruption allegations, and that prosecutions and punishments are followed through, irrespective of who is implicated.”
The warning comes amidst allegations that more than $600m linked to indebted state development fund 1MDB was transferred to a bank account in prime minister Najib Razak’s name.
Najib has denied receiving money for personal gain and has denounced the claims against him as a political plot.
TI chair José Ugaz said: “If Malaysia is to get through its current crisis then the government must let those who know how to investigate corruption do their job.
“The Malaysian anti-corruption commission must be able to act independently and be free from political interference.”
The call from TI was one of three resolutions passed on Tuesday at the global anti-corruption organisation’s annual membership meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Global Government Forum approached Najib’s office for a response, but it did not provide a comment.
About Winnie Agbonlahor
Winnie is news editor of Global Government Forum. She previously reported for Civil Service World - the trade magazine for senior UK government officials. Originally from Germany, Winnie first came to the UK in 2006 to study a BA in Journalism & Russian at the University of Sheffield. She is bilingual in English and German, and, after spending an academic year abroad in Russia and reporting for the Moscow Times, Winnie also speaks Russian fluently.
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