FEBRUARY 1 — For the first time in decades, Malaysia may be entering a genuine golden age of anti-corruption enforcement. Not because corruption has disappeared.

Not because Malaysians have suddenly become immune to abuse of power.

But because the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has begun to think and act strategically under the Unity Government.

Recent remarks by Azam Baki, Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, mark an important shift in how corruption is now understood.

By describing five of Malaysia’s most developed states as “gold mines” for investigation, Azam Baki was not celebrating corruption.

He was stating a hard truth: where economic activity is densest, corruption risks are structurally higher.

Johor, Selangor, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak are not problematic because they are poorly governed. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim deserves due credit in encouraging MACC to go big. Without serious crackdown no anti-corruption agency is worth its weight in gold. 

At any rate, these states are problematic because they are economically dynamic.

These states host the largest infrastructure projects, the most valuable land conversions, the biggest procurement contracts and the highest concentration of political–commercial interaction. In political-economy terms, they are high-rent environments.

Any serious anti-corruption agency must therefore follow rents, not rhetoric. What makes this moment especially significant is Azam Baki’s explicit rejection of enforcement populism.

He made clear that MACC should not exhaust its limited resources chasing petty roadside bribes or minor infractions with minimal systemic impact.

Such acts are wrong. But they are not what hollow out the state.

They are not what inflate national costs, distort markets or undermine investor confidence. MACC’s renewed focus is instead on serious, systemic and high-value corruption.

This includes procurement fraud, cartelised tenders, abuse of discretion, land grabs, resource leakage and collusion between political authority and economic power.

This is the corruption that raises the cost of living, weakens institutions and punishes ordinary Malaysians in invisible but lasting ways.

For years, Malaysia’s anti-corruption efforts were criticised for being episodic and selective.

Investigations appeared reactive rather than structural. Public cynicism grew.

Many assumed accountability applied only to political casualties, while entrenched networks remained untouched. The unity government has altered this institutional environment.

Without claiming perfection, it has created political space for institutions to function.

Recent investigations involving senior officials and politically connected actors send a clear message.

Rank no longer guarantees immunity. This is where the notion of a “golden age” becomes meaningful.

A golden age is not the absence of corruption.

It is the presence of credible deterrence, consistency and institutional maturity.

It is when enforcement becomes predictable, professional and proportionate.

By prioritising Malaysia’s most developed states, MACC is also aligning with global best practice.

Advanced economies focus on high-impact cases, dismantle networks rather than scapegoats, and target enablers — fixers, intermediaries and procurement gatekeepers. There is also a clear economic logic.

Malaysia is competing for investment in semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, green technology and strategic supply chains. Investors do not expect perfection. They expect rules that are enforced at the top.

Petty corruption can be priced in. Grand corruption cannot. It creates uncertainty, political risk and reputational damage.

By signalling that the biggest projects and wealthiest regions are under scrutiny, MACC is strengthening Malaysia’s investment credibility far more effectively than any slogan.

Critics may argue that deprioritising minor corruption sends the wrong moral signal.

This misunderstands sequencing. Strategic prioritisation is not moral compromise.

Petty corruption can be reduced through digitisation, automation and administrative reform.

Grand corruption requires investigative depth, legal sophistication and political backing. If sustained, this approach could reshape Malaysia’s governance trajectory.

Trust will be rebuilt not through drama, but through results. Golden ages rarely announce themselves.

They are recognised later — when norms shift and deterrence becomes real. Malaysia may still be at the dawn of this phase. But the direction is clear.

By choosing depth over drama and impact over optics, MACC under the Unity Government has taken a decisive step forward.

The real test now is endurance.

If this focus survives political cycles, Malaysia’s long-promised war on corruption may finally become what it was always meant to be: a system that works.

* Phar Kim Beng is a professor of Asean Studies at the Institute of International and Asean Studies, International Islamic University of Malaysia. 

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.