Corruption and Public Value in Malaysia

Abstract

Purpose: This paper explores the interrelated relationship between corruption and public value in Malaysia. It examines the government s creation of public value and why these values become meaningless in the face of systemic corruption pervading the country. This review aims to identify the areas of concern that had nurtured the practice of corruption in Malaysia s public sector and how these areas of concern can be strengthened to rebuild the citizen or rakyat s trust in the integrity of the public sector. Method: Over several decades, the Malaysian governments have launched important initiatives to counter corruption. This paper focuses on only two government initiatives as a reference. The first initiative refers to the three different approaches undertaken by the Mahathir government in the early 1980s. These included- the Clean, Efficient and Trustworthy initiative (1981), which had Leadership by Example (1983) as a central theme. These initiatives were followed by the campaign for the Inculcation of Islamic Values Policy (1985). The second initiative refers to the National Anti-Corruption Plan launched by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in 2019, under the Mahathir 2.0 government. The present Perikatan Nasional (PN) government has also adopted this plan. Using the examples of these two Malaysian governments anti-corruption initiatives, this paper examines the values espoused by the government, almost four decades apart, to instill integrity in the public sector. Results: High corruption in the public sector has led to a serious public trust deficit, threatening the country s economic development and social cohesion. Public integrity remains evasive when the interests of a few override those of the larger population. With rampant corruption, the delivery and quality of public services to the citizens become problematic. Conclusion: This paper recommends the way forward in rebuilding trust and public value in Malaysia. Institutional reforms, empowering the public, and encouraging the participation of civil society organizations are some of the measures proposed to overcome the scourge of corruption in Malaysia.