Malaysia’s Anwar orders officials to file anti-corruption report within a week
The leader says that if top enforcement officials admit they are unable to crack down on corruption and smuggling, they should step aside
“My patience is wearing thin,” Anwar said, urging the officials to declare within seven days whether they were “not yet ready” to carry the responsibility entrusted to them. “If you don’t think you can do it, step aside so others can.”
The warning, delivered in a closed-door address to top enforcement chiefs on Wednesday, comes as Anwar’s reformist administration faces renewed scrutiny over whether its anti-corruption rhetoric can translate into results in a system long criticised for patronage networks and recurring scandals, such as the cross-border sale of subsidised necessities.
Malaysia scored 50 out of 100 in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking 57th globally. Anwar’s government has set a target for the country to rise to the index’s global top 25 by 2033.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, ordered officials to tell their department heads – whether to him or other ministers – if they felt unable to meet expectations, cautioning them not to take a “casual attitude” towards enforcement.
He linked the crackdown to what he described as blatant cross-border criminality, pressing agencies to work together to address long-standing weaknesses at Malaysia’s borders.