By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix  Ikhwan Hashim

BANGI, 9 September 2014 – The National University of Malaysia (UKM) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have reaffirmed their commitment to work together to produce graduates who are adept at the task of combating corruption.

A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed here today between UKM and MACC to enable MACC officers pursue a Master of Corruption Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK).

It was signed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali and MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed.

FSSK Dean Prof Dr Hazita Azman and Director of Planning at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Malaysia, Dato’ Abdul Wahab Abdul Aziz signed as witnesses for the agreement for their respective organisations.

The current 2014/2015 session which has just started saw the first intake of officers from international enforcement agencies for the programme which was introduced in 2008. A total of 21 MACC officers and one from the of Anti-Corruption Bureau of Brunei Darussalam (BMR) are now pursuing the programme.

Abu Kassim said response from other enforcement agencies was very encouraging since it received more than 30 applications for the current session. Among the of 21 officers accepted five are from MACC, nine from PDRM, two each from the Ministry of Defence and the Customs Department as well as one each from Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the Audit Department and Brunei.

Prof Noor Azlan said the intake this year is the third since 2009 which showed that FSSK has the necessary expertise to conduct the programme. To date UKM is the only institution in Malaysia that offers such a programme.

The FSSK post graduate programme continues to earn the trust of other enforcement agencies such as the Royal Malaysian Police and the Malaysian Armed Forces, he said.

Tan Sri Abu Kassim said a total of 48 enforcement officers have obtained their master’s degree under the programme since 2009.

He hoped UKM would consider conducting the programme in English as there is demand from other ASEAN countries for their officers to take up the same course.

Students taking up the course can also sign up for the Certified Integrity Officer (CeIO) programme, an accredited integrity programme coordinated and conducted by the Corporate Integrity Development Centre of Malaysian Anti Corruption Academy (MACA) with the aim of nurturing certified integrity officers.