“Too much bureaucracy” within the Education Ministry is hindering the inclusion of a module on corruption in the national school syllabus, MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya (above) has said.

She said the MACC is looking to meet with minister Maszlee Malik to discuss the speedy inclusion of the module in schools, including preschools and universities.

She told Utusan Malaysia that the anti-graft body already has the module, to be turned into textbooks or included in the relevant subject by the ministry.

“In the category of eliminating corruption, our (MACC’s) goal is to create a module or syllabus in schools and universities to instil values which reject corruption.

“[...]There are some constraints (kekangan) to the inclusion of this module as there is too much bureaucracy within the ministry.

“There has to be a committee to look at the textbooks, there has to be a printing (company), costs and too much bureaucracy that will result in the module being out of date by the time everything is completed,” she was quoted saying in an interview published by Utusan Malaysia today.

Hence, Latheefa said the anti-graft body is looking to “expedite the process”.

The earlier inclusion of such syllabus in schools could have helped curb corrupt practices by civil servants today, she said.

She cited a 2002 study by the MACC which found that many students and youths have claimed they would indulge in corruption if there was certainty they would not get caught.

“We failed to instil such values when they (civil officers) were young. There is something missing in the education syllabus.

“[...] Unfortunately, after knowing the findings of the study, we did not take note to include this in our education to curb such thinking. That is why perhaps among the students (with such thinking) are now the civil servants we are referring to (involved in corruption),” she further said in the interview.

Something, she said, must be done at the school-level.