"Eradicating corruption is a new Malaysian dilemma. Now it's time to find out why it (eradication) is not successful."

In saying this, Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia president Zainal Abidin Abdul Majid pointed out that the time has come to review the anti-graft campaign spearheaded by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (photo).

"When he took office, Abdullah set the tone for the campaign which has now reached the stage of implementation, awareness and respect to that agenda. And these are things that members of the public are now questioning," he said.

Graft allegations have emerged in relation to issuance of Approved Permits for the import of luxury cars; red-tape in the construction sector; criminal breach of trust and financial mismanagement cases in court; and the budget for farewell ceremonies for the Customs and Excise department director-general Abdul Halil Abdul Mutalib who is retiring.

"These are all only the tip of the iceberg. As the country's chief executive, the PM should review his initiative and measure whether it is working as planned and if not, why and who is not supporting it," said Zainal Abidin.

After doing a stock-check, Abdullah should remove the obstacles because corruption is a detrimental culture in the system of national growth, he said.

He said the premier should personally oversee implementation or get his cabinet to carry out a regular review based on the National Integrity Plan (NIP) formulated by the Integrity Institute of Malaysia.

"Each ministry should be required to report to the cabinet on the implementation of the anti-corruption campaign.

"The NIP is the best thing that has happened in Malaysia. If Hong Kong and Singapore can do it (eradicate graft), so can we. We don't want to be ranked with Indonesia but look at top countries like Finland.

Finland topped Transparency International's 2004 Corruption Perception Index.

Two-way process

Zainal Abidin said the US passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002, which requires disclosure of financial and accounting information. This is designed to prevent accounting fraud following the Enron and WorldCom fiasco.

Insisting on a two-way process for Malaysia to move forward, he said both the public and private sectors should consider inserting anti-corruption measures into the terms of employment.

"For the anti-graft campaign to succeed, all parties must take the initiative and incorporate it into their work ethic," he said.

"In the construction sector, for example, who is bribing whom? Is the giver offering more or is the receiver asking for more?"

Although Islam forbids graft, he said it is disappointing to note that Muslims are the ones mainly involved, especially when temptation becomes too strong to resist.

Zainal Abidin said the PM must set the agenda for the private sector.

"Most multinational corporations have a code of ethics which is strictly adhered to at all levels in all their offices worldwide. In fact, it is part of their employment terms.

"(But) why hasn't Malaysia done this yet? The PM needs a team which fears or favours no one to handle anti-corruption measuers. One is to make the Anti-Corruption Agency an independent body."

He said the private sector should not be left to operate on its own without a standardised approach to eliminating corruption.

"The government and private sector should urgently formulate a mutually-binding code of ethics that is binding on parties from both sides.

"This way, if the giver stops offering, the receiver will stop expecting (bribes)."

Contractors in the construction industry have claimed they are forced to pay up in order to cut through red tape and to obtain inside information to secure public tenders.

The success of the anti-graft agenda, said Zainal Abidin, would also depend very much on the role of non-governmental organisations in the implementation process.

He also proposed that whistleblowers be given protection under a law which would enable crucial information and evidence to surface.