Mindef and MAF: Public expects no less than a total commitment to upholding a clean, honest and trustworthy service — Hafiz Hassan

JANUARY 31 — I refer to the report Defence minister: Corruption in military is ‘threat to national security,’ not just embezzlement.

Amid backlash over alleged corruption within the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin delivered a stern speech in Parliament on Wednesday (January 28), declaring that no corrupt officers will be safe as he vowed to clean up the military.

Khaled rightly said the recent prosecution of two top army generals had eroded public trust in an institution that is expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and discipline, and that regaining that trust would be an uphill task.

The third high-ranking MAF military officer charged two days later could well be the third nail to the coffin of eroded public trust in the MAF.

Regaining public trust then would be more like rising up from a nailed coffin – more than an uphill task.

But the first step still needs to be made. That, to my mind, is the Defence Ministry (Mindef)’s and MAF’s own anti-corruption framework which upholds the highest standards of integrity, service and excellence, adopting a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and bribery in all their forms.

Amid backlash over alleged corruption within the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin delivered a stern speech in Parliament on Wednesday, declaring that no corrupt officers will be safe as he vowed to clean up the military. — Bernama pic

There must be internal directives and codes of conduct stipulating guidelines, mandatory declarations and punitive actions that must be taken where there are violations – a multi-pronged approach to mitigate risks of corruption and bribery.

That includes a stringent process of security vetting, such as declaration of assets and financial positions, every other, if not every, year, on top of periodic job rotation, compliance leave, regular internal and external audits at all levels of management, as well as reviews of financial procedures and anti-corruption measures.

Mindef and MAF personnel must also be able to speak up and report on cases of corruption through a wide range of channels.

The public expects no less than a total commitment to upholding a clean, honest and trustworthy service with the highest levels of integrity and incorruptibility.

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