New MACC chief Latheefa Koya said Malaysians have to move away from the mentality of harder laws, more whipping, and more jail time to curb corruption. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Despite being a lawyer, new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Latheefa Koya thinks educating people about the ills of corruption — and not harsher laws — is the way to tackle the problem.

“I think the law is sufficient. We have to move away from the mentality of harder laws, more whipping, more jail time. That’s not going to solve the problem. What we need to do is create the environment to lessen the corruption, the offence,” she told Malay Mail, referring in particular to corruption within the civil service.

In September 2017, it was reported that the MACC was pushing for laws to penalise civil servants who cause great losses in public funds, through their negligent and unethical practices within their respective government departments, by slapping them with criminal charges.

MACC deputy chief commissioner in charge of operations Datuk Azam Baki reportedly said that with the current laws, civil servants who get off scot free for power abuse and corruption due to insufficient evidence, or other technicalities, merely face internal or disciplinary action, seen as a slap on the wrist.

“So it all goes back to the quality of evidence. It is not about creating another new law,” she said, adding that no one can avoid the watchful eyes of the anti-graft busters.

She said that with the available laws, civil servants can even be sacked for any professional misconduct at work.

“If you noticed in the last few months actually, the government has increased initiatives to tackle corruption at so many levels. We are also working with the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC) and all that.

“You see, there is one thing called the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP). So there’s so many initiatives, and MACC happens to be one of the core agencies that would actually be conducting it.

“So that includes developing new directives, new laws. Not just laws per se, but new rules, regulations to tighten up potential corruption in the civil service and all that,” Latheefa said, adding that this also includes preventing the interference of political entities in the government’s day-to-day business.