Former MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker said corruption had become a “Malaysian way of life”, whether it was acknowledged or not. Many people have bribed their way out, from traffic offenders to corporate offenders, he said.

“The givers and takers are Malaysians of all ethnicities and faiths. Even licensed traders and legal companies dabble in a little corruption here and there to ensure smooth operations,” he told FMT.

By “a little corruption” he was referring to “protection money” paid to enforcement officers, adding that such cases had been reported before.

“They just use different euphemisms, but it’s still a bribe nevertheless,” said Ti, who was a deputy minister from 2020 to 2022.

His comments come in the wake of criticism by the deputy inspector-general of police, Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, about attempts by certain people to racialise corruption.

Ayob said some people, whom he did not name, had questioned why the authorities have not been arresting bribe-givers, who are allegedly predominantly non-Muslims.

In 2022, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang attributed the “root of corruption” to non-Muslims, sparking a range of police reports against him, and a police investigation.

Ti said placing blame on certain communities for the widespread corruption did not deal with the root of the problem, which he said arose from autocracy and the lack of transparency.

“It takes two to tango,” he said.

Blaming minorities “is a political attempt of pitting one group against the other, which is part of a divide and rule strategy adopted by politicians.”