MEDIA STATEMENT
INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION DAY 2025
9 DECEMBER 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Tuesday – In conjunction with the International Anti-Corruption Day 2025, Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (MASA) emphasises that the fight against corruption is not merely a policy demand but also a moral duty and a national trust.
Malaysia will not achieve genuine prosperity as long as institutional integrity continues to be compromised and public trust, eroded.
Since its establishment, MASA has remained committed to the agenda of institutional reform and integrity-driven governance which form the core foundations of any long-term development vision, including the aspiration for shared prosperity. These principles remain firm across changes in administration because integrity is not a political matter – it is a matter that concerns the nation’s future.
MASA acknowledges the various initiatives outlined in the national anti-corruption framework, including the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024–2028.
However, more important than the existence of policy is the firmness and transparency of its implementation. Every measure to combat corruption must be carried out professionally, with principle and free from any form of external influence to ensure that institutional integrity is truly safeguarded.
Current realities show that significant challenges persist. Malaysia remains at the 57th position in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024 – unchanged from 2023. The 12th Malaysia Plan target of being among the top 30 by 2025 and the 13th Malaysia Plan goal of breaking into the top 25 by 2030 are becoming increasingly difficult to achieve without stronger structural reforms.
The Auditor-General’s Report 2/2025 tabled in the Dewan Rakyat last July highlighted three serious governance irregularities and weaknesses, amounting to RM460 million. These are not merely statistics but reflections of the price paid by the people.
In the digital era, the adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), integrated databases and real-time monitoring can strengthen transparency and reduce opportunities for manipulation. However, technology will only be meaningful when accompanied by the institutional courage to uphold integrity without compromise.
A culture of zero tolerance towards corruption must also be continuously nurtured through integrity education that is critical, evidence-based and grounded in societal realities. A society of integrity can only be shaped through systems that are built upon integrity themselves.
At the same time, collaborations between the public sector, private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society must be driven by professionalism and openness, not by sentiments or narrow interests. Governance reform requires consistent, high-quality collective effort.
Malaysia will not be able to progress meaningfully if corruption continues to burden the nation economically and morally.
This International Anti-Corruption Day reminds us that the country’s future depends on the courage of institutions and society to reject corruption in all its forms.
MASA will continue to speak firmly, professionally and with principle to ensure that institutional reforms take place with honesty, transparency and true justice.
Happy International Anti-Corruption Day 2025.
AZRIL MOHD AMIN
Chief Executive Officer
Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (MASA)
