Corruption index: M'sia improves to 54th in the world
Malaysia has improved its standing on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2025, after two years of stagnation.
In a press conference today, Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Raymon Ram announced that the country has climbed to the 54th least corrupt out of 182 countries and territories assessed by the anti-corruption watchdog.
This marks an improvement from its 57th placing recorded in 2023 and 2024.
According to the CPI 2025 report, Malaysia’s score correspondingly improved to 52 points compared to 50 points in the previous two years.
However, the TI-M president cautioned that while the uptick in Malaysia’s 2025 score signals potential progress, it should not lead to complacency.
“I think our message here is this: we should not treat reforms as if they were a checklist. You can’t just get things done; it needs to be done right.
“End of the day, legislative reforms have to be done. Institutionally, there has to be thought. Then only will the rakyat feel the difference,” Raymon stressed.
He explained that the evaluation period for this year’s index spanned from 2023 to 2024, coinciding with the start of the Madani administration in Putrajaya.
Moving in the right direction
The group attributed the CPI ranking improvement to several policies and institutional reforms announced by the government, which are aimed at enhancing transparency and oversight among public institutions.
Among the policies and reforms mentioned are:
Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act 2023;
Amendments to the Audit Act 1957;
Companies (Amendment) Act 2024;
Launch of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024-2028;
CPI Task Force, chaired by the chief secretary to the government;
Government Procurement Bill and Whistleblower Protection Act amendments (2025).
Raymon said that while the slew of reforms announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim earlier this year was a step in the right direction, they were disappointed that improvements towards political financing were not mentioned.
During a special New Year’s announcement, the premier announced his commitment to enacting four reforms in 2026.
Among the reforms announced were the Freedom of Information Bill, the Ombudsman Bill, and the separation of the Attorney-General’s Chambers from the public prosecutor’s office.
Additionally, Raymon noted that high-profile corruption cases “coming about” reflect positively on MACC.
“We have seen cases coming about. It is a good reflection of the MACC taking action on those at high levels.
“We are seeing issues coming out of the Defence (Ministry). We are looking at other sectors for procurement. And this is something that has to continue going forward,” he said.
The CPI improvements came despite a year marred by the ongoing mining licence corruption scandal in Sabah, which also became a campaign issue in the state election last year.
Raymon stressed that sustained political will, stronger institutional reforms, and consistent enforcement against corruption, particularly involving senior public officials, are crucial if Malaysia is to maintain and improve its standing in future rankings.
