BACHOK (Oct 8): A total of 568 arrests involving public officers for corruption offences were recorded in 2024, the highest on record, raising concerns regarding the level of integrity within the country’s public administration machinery. 

Public Service Department director general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz said the statistics showed that integrity crisis is among the structural constraints that need to be addressed in efforts to strengthen the public service. 

He said factors identified as contributing to the issue included inconsistent enforcement of laws, weaknesses in procurement procedures, as well as the continued existence of a ‘back-door’ mentality and ‘Little Napoleon’ practices for personal gain. 

“Statistics on corruption arrests by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission involving public officers show a worrying upward trend, with the highest number recorded in 2024 at 568 cases. 

“This was due to inconsistent enforcement of laws, weaknesses in procurement procedures, and the continued existence of a ‘back-door’ mentality and ‘Little Napoleon’ practices for personal gain,” he said at the Adjunct Professor Inaugural Lecture at Dewan Tuanku Canselor Universiti Malaysia Kelantan here on Thursday. 

Wan Ahmad Dahlan said integrity issues are among the three main constraints currently affecting Malaysia’s public administration machinery, besides resistance to change, a silo mentality and systemic weaknesses. 

He earlier told reporters that corruption in the public service is worrying and that efforts to improve governance within organisations need to be carried out continuously to reduce the issue. 

“However, I am confident that with continuous efforts and determination to reject such practices, the issue of corruption can be reduced over time,” he said. 

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