Pastikan ketelusan, kata C4 berkait pasukan khas pantau pelabuhan

The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) has emphasized the need for stronger mechanisms of oversight and accountability to ensure government agencies can be effectively monitored by the public in handling misappropriation. Arief Hamizan, the Chief Investigator and Advocate at the Foundation, stated that the proposal for the establishment of special officers between the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Council (SPRM) and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) to handle state revenue-related misconduct is a positive step.

However, he hopes that the channels for the public to demand accountability will also be elevated beyond reducing secrecy to increase public confidence.

He emphasized that while the establishment of special officers for SPRM-JKDM is a positive step, the roles, powers, and mechanisms of their operation need to be clearly defined. A comprehensive set of guidelines is required to ensure the team operates effectively, avoiding conflicts of responsibility and producing meaningful impact in addressing institutional powerlessness and inefficiency.

Chief Spokesperson of SPRM, Abd Halim Aman, previously mentioned on July 15 that the proposal was under consideration with his counterpart from JKDM, Amran Ahmad. They also discussed challenges specifically related to customs inspections, apart from discussing bureaucratic hurdles and various domestic issues JKDM faces. Amran shared information on syndicate tactics to avoid tax payments, including smuggling activities and falsification of information or documents to obtain different categories of approval.

This development follows the emergence of issues in port management, mainly associated with discrepancies between cargo volumes and physical cargo movements involving petroleum. Arief further stressed that efforts to strengthen governance must be supported by a more comprehensive institutional overhaul to enhance the level of accountability and integrity in government agencies.

According to him, reform proposals include enacting freedom of information laws and establishing a federal Ombudsman office to investigate and resolve public complaints against government bodies, thereby strengthening public oversight. "The success of such reform depends on how well the implementation framework aligns with international best practices to create a more transparent, responsive, and trusted public institution."