Malaysia urged to follow anti-corruption strategies of top-ranked nations

SHAH ALAM – Malaysia must not be complacent with its 57th position in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), especially as Singapore has climbed to third place out of 180 countries.

Yayasan Sinar Untuk Malaysia (#RasuahBusters) Chief Executive Officer Nurhayati Nordin said Malaysia’s stagnant ranking for the second consecutive year signals the need for a more comprehensive and systematic anti-corruption strategy.

“Of course, we cannot be satisfied. While anti-corruption measures are being taken or have already begun, we must consider the Prime Minister’s target of elevating Malaysia to the 25th position within the next 10 years.

“That timeframe is not long, so to achieve this, we need to increase our score by 20 points. This means our score must improve by two points each year over the next decade,” she said.

The 2024 CPI ranks Denmark, Finland and Singapore as the least corrupt countries, with scores of 90, 88, and 84, respectively.

Nurhayati believes Malaysia can improve its ranking by adopting the best practices of these top-performing nations.

“We need to examine what these nations have implemented, such as their efficiency, transparency and delivery systems, which have contributed to their higher CPI scores.

“We must understand their methods. Even though Malaysia ranks second in Asean after Singapore, there is still a significant gap in both scores and global rankings between the two countries,” she said.

She stressed that anti-corruption efforts must be multi-faceted, involving legal reforms and stronger public awareness campaigns.

“#RasuahBusters has already initiated a dual-pronged approach. The first is ensuring that Malaysia becomes a corruption-free nation by reinforcing legal policies. Reforms must take place.

“But it is equally important to bring these reforms to the people—essentially, educating the public on why legal frameworks matter,” she said.

With a focused and structured approach, Malaysia can work towards a future with greater integrity and transparency.