The importance of press freedom was underlined yet again when a recent survey identified the media as the main channel for information on corruption.

Respondents comprising local residents in a suburban municipality north of Kuala Lumpur, said they learnt of corruption through the media.

"For this reason, the media has an important role to play in raising the levels of public awareness of the negative impact of corruption," stated the findings of the survey.

"To do this effectively, they have to ensure that they report incidents of corruption accurately and in detail, drawing attention to the implications of unethical public behaviour for the country as a whole."

The groundbreaking survey covered some 1,000 Selayang Municipal Council ratepayers divided into four categories: shopkeepers, hawkers, homemakers and users of local council counters.

It revealed that about 90 percent of shopkeepers became aware of corruption through the media, followed by hawkers (85 percent), households (79 percent) and users of local council counters (75 percent).

The media was the main channel to those in the 30-39 age group (86 percent), followed by the middle-aged group of 40-49 (84 percent) and approximately 76 percent each of the 20-29 and above 50 age groups.

Over-regulated, under-enforced

A majority of the respondents felt that appropriate punishment (64.5 percent), education (58.2 percent) and simplification of regulations (57.1 percent) will help minimise corruption, coupled with improvements in the laws and civil servants' welfare.

They also wanted the government enforcement agencies to review their operational and enforcement systems, work practices and procedures to weed out opportunities for corruption.

Further, the Anti-Corruption Agency must be involved in the systems review, according to the findings.

"We run the risk of being a country which is over-regulated and woefully under-enforced. This is consistent with the view of the respondents that excessive regulations is the main cause of corruption.

"Corruption, particularly in the realm of service delivery, creates inefficiencies and deprives the poor and the marginalised of the benefits provided by the government [which they get to enjoy otherwise]."

The survey concluded that while Malaysia had the necessary legal framework, it lacked the enforcement which needs to be enhanced by inculcating higher ethical standards of behaviour and value in the civil service.

Conducted jointly by the Malaysian Institute of Management and corruption watchdog Transparency International, the study covered Selayang Baru and Bandar Baru Selayang, which have a total population of 164,000.

Respondents numbered 979, comprising 582 Malays, 261 Chinese, 125 Indians and 11 others (Bangladeshis and Indonesians) in the 30-39 age group, with men outnumbering women 684 to 295.