TI-M calls for stiffer penalties for corruption

PETALING JAYA: Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) has called for higher penalties for corruption cases due to the persistent threat of corruption plaguing our country.
TI-M president Datuk Akhbar Satar said today that this is necessary because existing penalties had no effect on offenders.
"A higher penalty will also deter would-be offenders," he said in a statement today.
"While the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act was an improvement on the anti-corruption legislation after 50 years and experience learnt there should be a thorough review to make the anti-corruption laws even stronger."
The general penalty for any corruption-related offence in the MACC Act is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
If someone receives a bribe amounting to RM5,000, the penalty will be imprisonment and a fine of RM25,000 (which is RM5,000 x 5), he said.
If another person receives a bribe amounting to RM1,000, he will be jailed and fined RM10,000. This is because the minimum fine takes precedence as the penalty charge on the value of the bribe amounts to less than RM10,000, which is RM5,000.
The punishment should be reviewed to provide for heavier sentences, Akhbar said.