Another crisis of confidence which must be discussed by the Cabinet meeting tomorrow – from TI CPI 2019 which was the best in 25 years to TI CPI 2021 which was the worst in 27 years!
The Cabinet tomorrow must have a special discussion on the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2021 which has been released showing the country has dropped five rungs in the index, after dropping six rungs last year.
Malaysians expect a statement after the Cabinet meeting tomorrow as to why the country is facing another crisis of confidence with the TI CPI 2019 which was the best in 25 years to TI CPI 2021 which was the worst in 27 years!
Malaysia’s score in the TI CPI 2021 was 48 points out of 100, a drop of five points as compared to TI CPI 2019.
Malaysia’s performance in the TI CPI 2021 had not taken into account Azam-gate which rocked the nation for almost a month, as it was too recent a development to be an input in the TI CPI 2021.
Malaysia’s score and ranking would be even lower if Azam-gate had been fully incorporated into the TI CPI 2021.
Will any head roll as a result of Malaysia’s shocking performance of in TI CPI 2021.
In other countries, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner would have handed in his resignation at the atrocious TI CPI 2021 report but not in Malaysia,
For nearly one month, Malaysia was convulsed in government and parliamentary paralysis by what is best term Azam-gate where the country’s chief anti-corruption officer failed to be a prime example of integrity, probity and accountability with his shareholding scandal.
The hope that Malaysia might become one of the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity by 2030 under the Pakatan Harapan government was destroyed by the Sheraton Move conspiracy on Feb. 26, 2020 and have now the sorry TI CPI 2021.
The country was promised that under the former UMNO-BN regime in the last decade that Malaysia would achieve the target to be in the top 30 countries in the world in public integrity and anti-corruption.
Studying the TI CPI ranking and score for the 24-year series of TI CPI from 1995-2018, there was no ground for anyone to believe that the target of Malaysia being ranked in the top 30 countries of TI CPI 2020 could be achieved.
Countries which had been down on the list of the TI CPI ranking in the first series in 1995, like China, Thailand, India and Indonesia, were fast catching up to Malaysia’s level, which had regressed since 1995.
Fortunately, this trajectory was stopped when the Pakatan Harapan government took over, and in the TI CPI 2019, Malaysia achieved the best TI CPI performance in 25 years with a single-year improvement of six points for TI CPI score and 10 placings for TI CPI ranking – a ranking of No. 51 and score of 53 out of the 100.
Now we are back on the slippery slope of corruption as before the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 and the worst is yet to come from Azam-gate and worsening of the system of integrity in public life.
Will the TI CPI 2021 Report top the agenda of the Cabinet tomorrow, together the latest infamy of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM)’s vindictive action against the national badminton stars Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jn Wei waiting for satisfactory resolution by the Cabinet?