A country will not necessarily be poor if she lacks natural resources. However, if a country is infiltrated with corruption, not only will she be poor, she can even go bankrupt. Corruption has been a serious problem in Malaysia for many decades which has resulted in policy distortion, resource misallocation, the government coffers being hollowed out, and massive abuse of power. The blatant corrupt practices of the Barisan National government over the decades played a key role in its downfall in the 2018 General Election.
In its efforts to fight corruption, the Pakatan Harapan government has announced a ‘no-gift’ policy that covered a wider spectrum of people and the declaration of assets by all Cabinet members, members of parliament, political secretaries, and top government officials which could be made public. These are laudable efforts and we hope the fight against corruption does not end there. The roots of corruption have spread deep and wide over the decades; it would not be easy to uproot them. The new government would have done the country a great service even if at the end of its 5-year term, the only policy that turns out to be successful is its anti-corruption campaign.
In its efforts to fight corruption, the Pakatan Harapan government has announced a ‘no-gift’ policy that covered a wider spectrum of people and the declaration of assets by all Cabinet members, members of parliament, political secretaries, and top government officials which could be made public. These are laudable efforts and we hope the fight against corruption does not end there. The roots of corruption have spread deep and wide over the decades; it would not be easy to uproot them. The new government would have done the country a great service even if at the end of its 5-year term, the only policy that turns out to be successful is its anti-corruption campaign.
