A free press is "even more important" than an independent judiciary in moves to combat corruption in Malaysia, said Param Cumaraswamy, the new president of Transparency International Malaysia.

In an exclusive interview with malaysiakini on what it would take to reduce corruption, he said the government's stated mission would not succeed without press freedom.

"I put a lot of premium on press freedom. Sometimes, I say it is even more important than an independent judiciary. A free press is vital for an effective democracy," he said.

Param, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, noted the decline in the ability of the Malaysian press to report freely since the mid-1980s.

In particular, this has been affected by amendments to the Official Secrets Act in 1986, which brought in a mandatory jail sentence of one to seven years for possession of information classified 'secret'. Prior to that, courts had the discretion to impose a fine on offenders.

"It was much freer (before that). You could criticise the prime minister and you would be on the front page. But now you can't. Everyone of you is very scared to (criticise). If a senior government servant commits an offence, that's kept as a secret," he said.

Param also called for freedom of information legislation, saying this is urgently needed in Malaysia to keep the public informed of corrupt practice as well as to ensure that fighting corruption becomes a routine matter.

He also said the government should amend the OSA to prevent administrative malpractice from being covered up.

High-profile prosecutions

Param further pointed to a need for the government to reveal the results of investigations into corruption scandals, to convince the public of its political will.

While noting that two high-profile cases are before the courts, he also questioned the status of investigations into 16 others. Unless details are revealed, there is the danger that "every leader is a suspect".

"That's very wrong and unfair... you cannot just prosecute two people and say 'I am taking stern action against corruption'. That's not going to be sufficient. (It's what) we call superficial."

In February last year, former Land and Co-operative Development Minister Kasitah Gaddam and business tycoon Eric Chia were charged with corrupt practice, following Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's pledge to crack down on corruption.

Former de facto law minister Dr Rais Yatim later revealed that at least 18 cases allegedly involving high-ranking individuals and decision makers were pending further action. To date, nothing has been heard about the status of these cases.

Param also said that, while there is enhanced awareness of corruption today, more constructive actions are needed to address weaknesses in public administration which attract corruption.

"We must find out the weaknesses that encourage corruption in various sectors. And then we (have to) look at the weaknesses and suggest changes," he added.

Q&A: Set example against corruption, leaders told