In a recent highly animated speech, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi exhorted Muslims to culturally condition themselves against corruption, just as we are against eating pork. The prime minister betrays a shocking naivety in his simplistic suggestion that the equivalent of Nancy Reagan's ineffectual 'Just Say No to Drugs!' slogan would solve Malaysia's complex and pervasive problem of corruption. He went on to elaborate that we do not need legislation and penalties against corruption; we just have to pledge ourselves against it. Come down to earth, Mister prime minister!

If God had created humans as angels, or if humans were all saints, then we would not worry about such nefarious acts as corruption. Nor would we need laws or even the Quran.

One's dietary preference is conditioned by culture and religion; corruption on the other hand is an expression of that basic human emotion greed. If the prime minister is blissfully unaware of this fundamental difference, he will never eradicate corruption and influence peddling in his administration.

Abdullah cannot eradicate corruption through pious preaching, nor do the corrupt pay heed to recurring references to the Quran. Malaysia needs effective remedies and preventive measures. It does not have to reinvent the wheel; many nations have successfully conquered this scourge. Nor does it have to look far for successful examples, just south of the causeway.

The prime minister likened corruption to cancer; it corrodes the vitality of our society, ultimately leading to its downfall. In my book The Malay Dilemma Revisited, I use the analogy of termite infestation; if not exterminated it will destroy the integrity of our institutions.

Rampant practice

The first reality Abdullah must acknowledge is that corruption is rampant and entrenched in Malaysia. Merely repeating that we are not as bad as Indonesia and Nigeria is no consolation. Yes, those countries are beyond redemption, but our role models should be Sweden and Switzerland.

Corruption is difficult to detect and eliminate as it is to the mutual advantage of both briber and bribee to conceal the evidence. The act benefits both parties. Far from being a victimless crime, corruption imposes a burden on us all, a form of invisible tax. Corruption in the Third World has the same negative effect on foreign investments as a 20 percentage points increase in tax a major disincentive.

The briber rationalises his actions by dismissing them as finder's fees, commissions, costs of doing business, or simply to get things done 'efficiently'. The bureaucracy is so cumbersome in the Third World that corruption is a necessary lubricant. The bribee is equally facile with his pretenses from 'everyone is doing it', to that perennial lament of workers everywhere, 'being overworked and underpaid'.

These are mere excuses; corruption undermines faith in and integrity of the system.

Pursuing the termite metaphor, to exterminate it we have to be aggressive. We must regularly examine the nooks and crannies for telltale signs, lay traps at likely locations, and if the building is prone to infestation, have regular fumigations. We can also design buildings to be termite resistant by using cement, or if we are using wood, to use only chemically pretreated ones or those with high natural resistance like meranti. Alternatively, if we use low resistance wood, keep it away from the ground and areas difficult to inspect. Similarly, we discourage termite growth with better drainage, removal of debris and dead woods, adequate ventilation, and letting the sunshine in.

Streamlining the administrative machinery, making procedures less convoluted and more transparent, and ensuring that personnel are properly accountable would greatly reduce the temptation for corruption, the equivalent of termite proofing. Once established, the infestation is very tenacious; it is always more effective to be vigilant and persistent in prevention.

Just as a building has sites that are more prone to infestation, the bureaucracy too has areas more susceptible to corruption. One is unlikely to encounter it at the Rubber Research Institute, it is not 'damp' or 'dark' and the scientists are of meranti quality incorruptible. Customs and other departments that deal with cash are the equivalent of the damp ground floor. Civil servants assigned there, if not of meranti quality (they rarely are) must be specially trained ('chemically pretreated') and be subjected to regular scrutiny. If they start driving luxury cars or having lavish wedding parties, the equivalent of termite droppings, promptly and vigorously investigate. If the evidence is not sufficient for conviction, transfer them out. That would send a clear message on those remaining. It would also be more effective than the prime minister's suggestion of mindlessly transferring personnel out on a fixed routine. His plan would unnecessarily penalise honest workers and deprive the department of its institutional memory and core of dedicated personnel.

Agencies issuing valuable permits are also highly susceptible. Making the rules explicit and procedures transparent, leaving little room for subjective judgment (the equivalent of drainage and letting the sunshine in), would greatly reduce the temptations for dishonesty. In issuing taxi licenses for example, we could have a point system, with bonus points for English fluency (good for the tourist industry), ex-servicemen (as an appreciation for their service to the nation), and owner operators. Such a system would reduce influence peddling, and produce a better taxi service to boot.

Sting operations

The Anti-Corruption Agency must stage 'sting' operations. Properly planned and executed to avoid charges of entrapment, these operations ("termite traps") are the only effective means of netting the big fish. Equip senior civil servants and foreigners posing as investors with hidden cameras and microphones, no telling what such trolling would net. ACA's credibility and effectiveness would be enhanced considerably by making it answerable not to the prime minister as at present, but to Parliament or the King.

Like all major social problems, the fight against corruption must begin at the top. Leaders must be honest and incorruptible, intolerant of shady and unethical practices. The best way to get meranti quality leaders is nominate individuals who are already successful at their own careers; they are then less likely to use their political office as a conduit for making money. For them, politics would truly be a public service. Alas, I look askance at our top leaders today. The prime minister must look deep in the forest to get meranti to replace his present crop of kayu akar.

The prime minister missed a great opportunity recently to demonstrate his resolve in not demanding the immediate resignation of his minister who was arrested for corruption. By waiting and waffling, Abdullah appeared unsure. 'Innocent till proven guilty' is fine in a criminal proceedings, but not when you are dealing in a position of high public trust.

Just as we can design a building to be termite resistant so too we can model a government less prone to corruption. Corruption is inevitable where the government is large, oppressive, and intrudes in the lives of its citizens. Any effective and long lasting solution to corruption must critically reexamine the proper role of government. It has no business running an airline, utility company, or steel mill. Those are properly the role of the private sector. The current obsession with the Perwaja Steel corruption focuses only on the symptoms. The more fundamental question Should the government run steel mills? is conveniently sidelined. Unless addressed, there will be many more Eric Chias.

The prime minister must awake to the reality that pious sermons alone will not discourage corruption; tough prosecutions will. He would also reduce the temptations for corruption and influence peddling by reexamining the proper role of government.