Review proposal to disband GIACC - Rais

KUALA LUMPUR - The Special Select Committee on Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption will submit a special memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to review the proposal to disband the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC).

Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim said the special committee has found that the GIACC had implemented more than 80 per cent of the proposals, including institutional transformation recommendations since 2018.

They include separating the public prosecutor's office from the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) and the supervision of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

"At least, the GIACC together with the Malaysian Institute of Integrity can blend their anti-corruption planning services to achieve the country's corruption-free goals," he said in a media statement after chairing the Special Committee meeting today.

Anwar had said that the proposal to disband the GIACC which was established in June 2018 will be studied because there seemed to be a duplication of tasks.

The prime minister if the functions of the GIACC could be handled by the MACC or the Royal Malaysia Police, then the overlapping agencies should be scrapped, as each agency incurs high costs.

Rais said other matters decided at the meeting included studying amendments to the Trade Union (Amendment) Bill 2022 passed by the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 5, 2022.

"The proposed amendment of the Trade Union (Amendment) Bill 2022 as a whole meets the objectives of the transformation of labour and trade unions in the country," he said.

He also said a special motion on amendments to the Trade Unions Act would be brought to the Senate in March.

The committee members of the Special Select Committee who attended the meeting today were Senator Datuk John Ambrose, Senator Datuk Seri S. Vell Paari, Senator Datuk Jefridin Atan dan Senator Datuk Arman Azha Abu Hanifa.

Also present were representatives of the Human Resources Ministry, headed by its Deputy Secretary-General (Policy and International) Maniam Arumugam, Department Of Trade Union Affairs (JHEKS) director-general Kamal Pardi, Coalition against Multiplicity of Unions (CAMU) and Labour Law Reform Coalition (LLRC). - BERNAMA