Malaysia Moves Up Corruption List

This is a comment from a Malaysia Today visitor by the name of vesewe. The title of the article is "Dr. M: Claims meant to blacken my name"

It seems that Malaysia has moved up on the ranking of corruption from last year's. The annual survey was carried out by Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) on 13 countries and territories across the region in January and February.

Malaysia is seventh in the list.

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vesewe wrote:

The top problems in Malaysia are corruption, corruption and corruption.

Get rid of corruption you get rid of all the problems associated with it.

Corruption can be broadly defined as the misuse of public office for private gain. Abuses by government officials such as embezzlement and nepotism, as well as abuses in bribery, extortion, fraud and influence peddling.

The effects of corruption:
1. Corruption in elections and legislative bodies reduces accountability and representation

2. Corruption in judiciary suspends the rule of law

3. Corruption in public administration results in unequal provision of services

4. Corruption in selecting or promoting officials without regard to performance will stifle progress

5. Corruption siphons off the resources needed for development

6. Corruption undermines democracy and good governance

7. Corruption undermines democratic values in trust and tolerance

8. Corruption undermines the legitimacy of government

9. Corruption undermines national economic development

10. Corruption weakens government institutions by disregarding official procedures

Corruption generates economic distortions in public sector by pulling investment from essential projects such as education, health care and low cost housing into projects where bribes and kickbacks are more plentiful.

Corruption lowers compliance with construction, environment, or other regulations.

Quality of government services are reduced due to inefficiency as the result of corruption, thus budgetary pressures on government increases and ultimately, the citizens foot the bill and are denied the share of the national resources as well.

In the public sector, corruption undermines economic development. In private sector, corruption increases the cost of business and stifles healthy competition.

Corruption shield companies with connections from fair competition, thus making our country less efficient and less competitive in the global market.

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My comments:
I do agree with what vesewe wrote. Is corruption in Malaysia an unremovable system now?

What can we do, as Malaysians, do about it? Change the government? I do ponder whether that would be sufficient or would it make the situation worse.

:-(