Speaking at a forum on integrity at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Academy, Sulaiman and Perodua President and CEO Aminar Rashid Salleh were asked about integrity in the private sector.

Sulaiman stressed the importance of promoting the concept of integrity at all levels of a company’s hierarchy and said, “The CEO and the chairman may be doing well, but someone at the bottom may not be doing so well.

“All you need is a chip on the plate for the whole plate’s integrity to be questioned.

“Integrity has to be promoted at all levels,” said Sulaiman.

He explained that there were always a few bad apples in a group of people and stern action had to be taken against those guilty of committing corrupt practices, such as taking bribes.

“Companies like ours (TM and Perodua) have a reputation to upkeep. It is not a risk we can afford to play with.

“Confidence and reliance are two very important things in companies like ours. We need the trust of our shareholders and our consumers.

“The TM name is a symbol of trust,” Sulaiman said.

Aminar shared Sulaiman’s sentiments, adding that integrity was about “doing the right thing when people are not looking.”

“We know corruption was rampant 30 years ago. There were missing files … if you wanted things to be approved quickly… but today, are we willing to be part of that equation?

“At the end of the day, it starts with us.

“Having said that, we (at Perodua) are not perfect. There is a lot more to be done,” said Aminar.

He agreed with Sulaiman about the issue of trust, and added that integrity was also about respect.

According to Aminar, the new Bezza is the first Perodua vehicle fully designed from scratch by local designers and engineers without the help of foreign partners.

“We gained their trust. For the first time in 20 years, our partners let us design a car ourselves from the base.

“That is trust,” said Aminar.