Malaysia on ‘high risk’ list

PETALING JAYA (Sept 17, 2013): Malaysia is one of 21 countries at "high risk" of corruption in the defence ministry or armed forces due to weak legislative scrutiny, according to the latest Transparency International UK Defence and Security Programme (DSP) report.

The report, which was released today, also stated Malaysia was one of 55 countries that have failed to exercise sufficient control over their defence ministry and their armed forces.

Other countries sharing the "high risk" rating with Malaysia include Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Iraq, Singapore and China, a result described as "shocking" by Transparency International UK's DSP director Mark Pyman.
"Two thirds of countries are at very high risk of corruption due to poor legislative controls over defence and security. Worse, 85% of countries lack effective legislative scrutiny of defence policy," said Pyman, in his foreword to the DSP report.

Pyman added that any corruption in defence dealings is dangerous, divisive and wasteful.

"The cost is paid by soldiers, companies, governments and citizens. Most legislatures are failing voters by not acting as proper watchdogs of this huge sector," said Pyman.

The DSP also found, in their study, that evidence of highly effective methods of scrutiny were present in less than 15% of countries surveyed.

He added that the findings of the DSP study could help legislative bodies improve their scrutiny of the defence ministries and armed forces of their respective countries, saying that the DSP estimates the global cost of defence-sector corruption to be at least US$20 billion (RM60 billion) per year.

The DSP, in sharing their findings also found that in 55% of countries, defence budgets are totally opaque, while 75% of countries do not publicly disclose secret defence and security spending.

SUMBER