Whipping is not enough to spook society into staying away from corruption, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz today.

Instead, there should be a long-term integrity plan in educating the society to refuse any malpractice of corruption, he said.

"There are other ways, such as inculcating Malaysians with integrity to make them realise the detrimental effect of corruption to the society in the long term," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

More than 25 countries in the Asia Pacific region are participating in the three-day seminar themed 'Denying Safe Haven to Corruption and Its Assets: Enhancing Asia Pacific Cooperation on Mutual Legal Assistance, Extradition and The Recovery and Return of the Proceeds of Corruption'.

Nazri said certain malpractices of corruption like giving small bribes to government officials had become common nowadays and eventually, such practices would become acceptable to the society.

Thus, the society should change its way of life by saying no to corruption, he added.

"If we want to fight corruption, we should not use whipping but we should fight by using a long-term education plan," he said.

Mutual legal assistance

Nazri, who is also the de facto law minister, said mutual legal assistance is an important mechanism through which governments could more effectively suppress transnational crimes, including corruption.

He said it was important that nations cooperate to achieve the common to eradicate corruption. "Malaysia for one believes in international cooperation and collaboration," he added.

The minister said transnational crime was becoming a growing industry and was further facilitated by the existence of corruption.

"Corruption has ceased to be largely local in origin and effect. It is fast becoming a global phenomenon, not peculiar to only the developing countries. Gone are the days when developed countries claim moral superiority when comes to corruption," he added.

He said law enforcement authorities throughout the world must unite to combat this common threat.

"Together, the long arm of the law has now become even longer, sending a clear message that corruption does not pay to the corrupt," he added.