It is not easy for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to battle graft as he had to deal with the government's 'legacy' on the matter, said a ruling Barisan Nasional parliamentarian today.

"The move for transparency and openness in the government is not easy because we are fighting against a legacy problem," stressed Shahrir Samad when asked to comment on the matter in Parliament.

Although the veteran politician and backbenchers' club chairperson did not elaborate, Shahrir was obviously referring to the 22-year leadership of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, where few high-profile corruption cases saw the light of day in court.

However, Shahrir said it was not right for the public to question Abdullah's credibility based on "superficial facts" involving the government's effort to fight graft.

"We cannot only look at how many big fish had been successfully arrested. That, perhaps, is not the right way to judge the results," said the Johor Baru MP.

"Prosecution is one thing, but winning the case is another matter," he added in reference to the difficulties of the Attorney-General's Chambers in bringing cases to court.

According to Shahrir, it is more important to thoroughly overhaul the bureaucratic system rather than going after government leaders at the top.

He explained that the public, being the system's end users, are the most affected group should they need to pay 'under-table' money in return for services.

"Improving the delivery system will help get (better) end results rather than just getting the heads," he added.

More time needed

Meanwhile, a number of other BN parliamentarians argued that more time be given to Abdullah in the battle against corruption.

"I believe he has done quite a lot and we can't judge a leader by only a year's performance. Give him more time and leeway," said Puteri Umno deputy chief and Papar MP Rosnah Abd Rashid Shirlin.

"I trust that we will be able to reach a state where corruption is no longer a problem in our country," she added when met at the sidelines of today's Dewan Rakyat proceedings.

She disagreed with critics who argued that Abdullah had shown little for his promise to fight corruption since assuming the premiership.

"I think he has the courage in raising the corruption issue, which was a sensitive issue before, and this agenda is one of his highest priorities," she said.

Parit Sulong MP Syed Hood Syed Edros Alhaj, however, said the public perception of Abdullah was that he had only "tried his best" to fight corruption.

"It is really not enough - many more things could be done for the cause... But corruption is a common problem. It happens in every country. It is just like prostitution. Nobody likes prostitution yet it is still rampant, and people are willing to pay for the service," he added.

The government recently announced that the Anti-Corruption Agency recorded its highest number of arrests last year but did not reveal how many were charged in court.

Almost all of the BN parliamentarians cited last year's arrests of former land and cooperative development minister Kasitah Gaddam and former Perwaja managing director Eric Chia when arguing that the government did not condone corruption.

They also said the premier's move to cut bureaucratic red tapes and establish the Malaysia Integrity Institute under the National Integrity Plan showed Abdullah's commitment in fighting corruption.

Rais blamed

Outspoken backbencher Bung Moktar Radin blamed former de facto law minister Dr Rais Yatim for saying that 18 high-profile individuals were being investigated for corruption.

He said the statement, which was later denied, had contributed to the public perception that the government was not bold enough to take action against these VIPs.

The Kinabatangan MP lamented that Rais' statement, which was made last year, had "confused the public".

Following the arrests and charging of several high-profile figures for graft early last year, Rais (right), who was then minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said the AG Chambers was looking at 18 other high-ranking individuals.

However, in May, Abdullah clarified that it was not 18 individuals under investigation but 18 corruption-prone sectors which needed to be monitored.