Survey: Most Malaysians Say Corruption Rampant As Officials Accused.

A majority of Malaysians say little has been done to tackle corruption, a survey released Monday showed, as fresh graft allegations surfaced against top officials.

The Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum was accused Sunday of taking a 5 million ringgit (US$1.42 million; €1.1 million) bribe to free detained suspects — a claim denied by Johari.

The allegation came days after the head of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Zulkipli Mat Noor, also denied accusations that he failed to declare assets and obtained property through corrupt means. Both Zulkipli and Johari said they welcomed investigations to clear their names.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi reiterated a pledge Monday to prosecute any wrongdoers in his government and civil service. "Of course no one wants corruption. Action must be taken," the national news agency quoted Abdullah as saying. "Those who are innocent need not worry."

Abdullah said his government was "cautious" about prosecuting until evidence had been gathered. "The action we take is not based on perception but on information, this is crucial," Abdullah said. "We are always cautious in such matters."

More than 60 percent of 1,025 citizens surveyed by the Malaysian chapter of Berlin-headquartered Transparency International and the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research said they believed corruption had not declined from a year ago.

"People believe the problem is acute and serious," Malaysian Transparency International chapter President Ramon Navaratnam said Monday. "More people need to be apprehended for corruption."

Malaysia's police force and the Road Transport Department had "the least integrity and transparency," the survey showed.

A separate survey of 411 corporate managers showed 47 percent paid or knew someone who paid bribes in the past 12 months.

Abdullah pledged to reduce corruption after replacing longtime leader Mahathir Mohamad in 2003, but critics say he hasn't done enough toward that effort.

Malaysia's ranking in Transparency International's corruption index worsened to 44 last year from 37 in 2003. (IHT)

***** I wonder if this report will ever be published fully in Malaysia. Here the government is portraying a semuanya OK scenario and despite so many officials being totally and openly corrupt and a few big fish implicated, precious little is being done. Our kerajaan will as always find some excuse or the other and at the end of the day things won't change and serious cheating and criminal acts will go on unchecked. No wonder so many Malaysians feel that corruption is rampant in this fair land of ours.
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