By Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, member of the Malaysian Integrity Institute
KOTA KINABALU: While most civil servants deserve the impending increase in salaries, it is unlikely that corrupt practices in government institutions will disappear completely.
But the question is: Will it at least reduce the level of corruption?
Will the outstretched hand asking for bribes be replaced by a friendly and sincere handshake?
Some people believe that simply raising salaries may not change the entrenched norms that facilitate corrupt behaviour.
Without a shift in mindset and culture surrounding public service, higher pay might not deter corrupt practices.
If the systems of accountability, transparency, ethics, and integrity are weak, even higher salaries will not have the desired impact.
Without robust checks and balances, some civil servants may still exploit their positions regardless of their financial incentives.
Without structural reforms, such as changes to recruitment processes and career development opportunities, the effect of increased pay may not help over time.
Just increasing pay without accompanying reforms in governance, ethics training, transparency, integrity, and whistleblower protections is unlikely to yield significant change.
A multi-faceted approach is necessary to effectively combat corruption.
Most of the corrupt civil servants see the taking of bribes as an easy way to increase their illegitimate income.
And then there is the matter of public perception. If the public continues to view some civil servants as inherently corrupt, pay increases may not change perceptions.
Effective public relations, education on ethics, and community engagement are necessary to foster trust.
The government should institute new and innovative ways to buttress its efforts to stamp out or at least reduce corruption among civil servants.
It could utilise artificial intelligence and data analytics to monitor civil servants’ behaviours and track patterns that may indicate corrupt practices.
Also, it could devise a system that brings together civil servants, technologists, academicians, and NGOs to brainstorm anti-corruption solutions.
