Govt applauds MACC for carrying out duty without fear or favour: Wahid

PUTRAJAYA: The government applauded the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for carrying out their duties without fear or favour.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar said that the commission had been going after people, regardless of their positions, including office bearers within the government.
"For example, just recently, after an opening ceremony, I was called to go to their office to be questioned.
"This was in regards to a case they are investigating, when I was still in the private sector," the senator said.
Wahid said that people have the tendency to commit crime because they think they can get away with it.
"These includes traffic offences.. but they must be aware, that there are agencies doing their job without fear or favour.
"Be rest assured... the truth will prevail," he said this during the closing ceremony of the 16th International Anti-Corruption Commission 2015 here yesterday.
At the event, the Putrajaya Declaration: Zero Tolerance against Impunity was also made, which recommended eight acts among participants to ensure integrity and anti-corruption.
IACC council chairperson Akera Muna urged people in government, civil society, the private sector, young people and social innovators to build innovative anti-corruption, transparency and accountability solutions to end impunity.
"If the powerful and corrupt are allowed to escape justice we risk the collapse of the rule of law and the ultimate disintegration of society," he said.
The declarations were announced by two young journalist, Anna Theresa Day and Wame Valentine from the Transparency International (TI) programme.
Among the recommendations included were:
- The improtance of recovering stolen assets as they are important in making sure there is no safe haven for the corrupt or a way for them to enjoy illicit wealth.
-Professionals such as bankers, lawyers, real estate agents who fail to exercise adequate due diligence, thus allowing the movement of illicit funds across border must themselves be sanctioned.
-Grand corruption becoming a crime of international law. This will enable international institutions and alliances to prosecute offenders as well as develop additional international mechanisms to apprehend, prosecute, judge, and sentence those who have committed crimes of grand corruption.
-When talking about office bearers, MACC to do their job without fear or favour.