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Speakers:
1. Representative from Transparency International Malaysia
2. Kamarul Hisham,lawyer, former DPP
3. K J John, Malaysiakini.com columnist
4. Ezam Mohd Nor, Gerakan Demokrasi dan Anti-Korupsi (GERAK), Chairperson

The series of incidents in recent days have revealed that corruption as a public issue in Malaysia has gone from bad to worse, enough to arouse serious concerns on the part of the citizenry. In view of this, the Civil Rights Committee of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (CRC-KLSCAH) will be holding a forum, entitled “Re-examining the Anti-corruption Mechanism”, with a view to dissecting the existing anti-corruption effort and examining its defects, while putting forward reform proposals.

Recent rumours of corruption, involving both the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) chief and a minister, have dealt a severe blow to the government’s commitment to fighting graft. Worse, the newly released Malaysia Transparency Perception Survey 2007 indicates not even a slight improvement in the transparency and integrity of government agencies, with the police and the road transport department being at the bottom of the list. Moreover, as much as 85% of the Chinese surveyed admit to having resorted to giving bribe. All these are issues that await in-depth analysis.

Date: 22 March 2007 (Thursday)
Time: 8 pm
Venue： Auditorium, KLSCAH, 1 Jalan Maharajalela, 50150 Kuala Lumpur.
(beside the Monorail stesen Maharajalela)
For details, please click here.

It is our hope that the speakers can address the following aspects:

a. Administrative transparency and the motivation for reform
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi won his mandate on an anti-corruption platform. What are the causes behind the lack of progress to date? Corruption in the public sector seems to be in tandem with the levels of administrative transparency. If the government promises reform, what would be the effects of such effort? How to evaluate institutional transparency?

It is rather shocking to know that even law enforcement agencies have succumbed to the wave of corruption, and this has been going for a considerable period of time which has almost become a tacit rule within the sector, prompting the public to question the will of the government to fight graft. Is it really possible for the force of reform to come from within the system?

b. A Review of the anti-corruption mechanism
i. The function of the Anti-Corruption Agency and the selection of its chief
ii. The possibility of independent investigation into corruption
iii. The role of the public in reporting graft to ensure the feasibility of the mechanism
iv. The procedure of the prosecution of corrupt public servants and its strengths and drawbacks

c. Proposal
i. What kind of institutional reform can help prevent corruption?
ii. The feasibility of making the ACA a statutory body accountable to parliament.

For futher info,please contact Mr Chan 03-22746645.

Moderator: Yong Yew Wei ,Vice-chair of the Socio-Economic Committee of the KLSCAH
Organized by: The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hal
Language: English and Malay

Many thanks.

Yours,

Ser Choon Ing
Chair,
Civil Rights Committee
Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
NO. 1,Jalan Maharajarela,
50150 Kuala Lumpur
tel:03-22746645
Fax :03-22724089
website:www.scah.org.my
email:info@scah.org.my