In 2019, Malaysia had a CPI score of 53. This fell to 51 in 2020 and 48 in 2021.

The CPI uses a scale of 0 (perceived to be highly corrupted) to 100 (perceived to be very clean).

In the anti-graft group’s latest report, Malaysia’s ranking among the 180 countries surveyed also improved from 61st in 2022 to 57th in 2023.

In its report, Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) said among the possible reasons for Malaysia’s improvement are the roles played by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) in charging two former prime ministers, namely Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin.

It also cited the dismissal of Najib’s final appeal in the SRC International corruption case in August 2022.

It said the smooth transition of power after the 2018 and 2022 general elections indicated the “existence and respect” for democratic principles.

TI-M said there were some positive developments in combating corruption after the unity government came to power in November 2022.

This included Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s directives on good governance, ongoing investigations on the undisclosed wealth of former politicians, and the government setting a national CPI target in 10 years.

Last July, Anwar said Malaysia should be ranked among the top 25 countries in the CPI by 2033.

We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.