SYNOPSIS
Since the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s a major feature of governance reform in Indonesia and Malaysia has been the creation of strong anti-corruption agencies responsible for both prevention and control of corruption. Modelled on Hong Kong’s Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Malaysian Anticorruption Commission (MACC) are among the most powerful anti-graft agencies in the region. Despite this and some evidence of early success, corruption in both jurisdictions has remained a huge challenge as reflected in various global governance measures. In fact, the ongoing anti-corruption campaigns appear to have produced little impacts given that the situation has got worse, especially in recent years.

The paper investigates the anti-corruption experience in these cases and unpacks the paradox. It argues that governance reforms have remained limited failing to address some critical and deep-rooted issues of the region’s political economy – politics-business nexus, cronyism and patronage networks – which are at the heart of corruption including grand corruption. It further argues that anti-graft agencies have failed to sustain strong support from political leadership. Worse more, in some cases they either allowed themselves to be used for political purposes or became embroiled in controversy which damaged their image as impartial institutions. Finally, anti-corruption agencies lack independence and effective power, and remain vulnerable to political pressures. Such constraints compounded further by institutional weaknesses, high level interference and politicisation have greatly undermined the effectiveness of anti-corruption campaigns.

The Southeast Asian experience shows limits to the independent anti-corruption agency model highlighting implications for policy and practice in this regard.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr Siddiquee Noore is currently Associate Professor in Public Administration within the College of Business, Government & Law, Flinders University, Australia. He has extensive experience in teaching, research and academic administration spanning over 30 years in several institutions in the Asia-pacific region. He has published 2 books, 20 chapters in edited volumes and more than 70 research papers in internationally refereed journals. His research broadly focuses on public sector management and transformations in developing countries assessing the impacts of contemporary reforms on governance and service delivery. 

VENUE AND TIME

• September 27, 2022, 12:15 (Nur-Sultan time)
• Register here
• Nazarbayev University, Block C3, room 1010