The World Justice Project has released a report which shows that Malaysia is number one among 30 upper-middle income countries when it comes to providing security for its people through the rule of law, and number 16th worldwide.
According to the report, the Malaysian Government is more accountable than those of other upper-middle income countries.
“Malaysia scores well on public safety, ranking first among its income peers, and on par with countries such as France and Belgium,” it said.
This emphatically lays to rest the constant Pakatan Rakyat criticism of the country’s security and judiciary systems, particularly to foreign journos. The scaremongering and bad-mouthing by the Opposition coalition has been shown to be unfounded, with our country ranking among the best in the world.
The report ranked Malaysia highly across eight areas impacting on the rule of law: limits on government power, corruption, security, fundamental rights, open government, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice.
The global report is the result of interviewing 97,000 members of the general public and more than 2,500 experts in 97 countries.
It is clear that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s reforms have improved the rule of law, demonstrating once again that he is working for the long-term development of the country.
His steady hand has guided the reform agenda in the last year, starting with his bold announcement in September 2011 that kicked off a series of key political reforms.
The Prime Minister pledged to overhaul the laws that govern our country, by repealing or modifying outdated laws.
Najib has therefore set the national tone in favour for reform, and has overcome misgivings within his own party and fierce opposition from the Opposition in his single-minded drive to free Malaysia from the shackles it had grown accustomed to.
First to go were the Restricted Residence Act and the Banishment Act, which were repealed in October 2011. Then the Peaceful Assembly Act was enacted last December to allow peaceful protests.
This was followed by seismic changes in April: amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) that will allow students to join politics, and finally, the Security Offences Bill that replaced the Internal Security Act (ISA).
In fact, Najib has pulled off a steady, peaceful transformation of Malaysia itself. This is no small achievement.
In the battle against corruption, the success of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is also clear, with more than 900 individuals arrested last year for giving and receiving bribes.
The MACC has recorded significant successes, arresting and bringing to court a number of menteris besar, former MPs, state assemblymen, CEOs, the general manager of a major firm, and even a deputy public prosecutor.
The formation of 14 Special Corruption Courts in July last year has helped in speeding up the legal process of corruption cases.
The commission has achieved a conviction rate of 74 per cent, compared to 71 per cent in 2010 and 54 per cent in 2009. From the convictions it secured last year, the MACC also slapped offenders with fines worth almost RM11 million.
In fact, MACC’s conviction rate is now the highest since it was upgraded from the Anti-Corruption Agency in January 2009.
A key reason for its growing success is the clear direction given by the government to the MACC to clean out corruption and prosecute those responsible. The agency reports directly to the Prime Minister.
The Government has also introduced the Integrity Pact and the Corporate Integrity Pledge to ensure that the procurement process by the Finance Ministry is done in a transparent manner.
Among the commission’s latest initiatives is the shaming of convicted offenders. Companies found guilty of giving bribes are now blacklisted and their names added to the MACC’s database of offenders, which is freely available on its official website.
With the crackdown on corruption continuing, whether it is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim or a foreign multinational, everyone is increasingly aware that corruption is no longer tolerated in Malaysia. The Government’s comprehensive approach to tackling the problem is finally paying off.
With Anwar being acquitted in his Sodomy II trial earlier this year, he can no longer complain about the justice system that has proven itself to be independent and unbiased.
So enough of Pakatan’s negativity – the transformation of our country has been unprecedented and the rule of law is here to stay. It’s time to give credit where it is due.