'Number of undergraduates willing to accept bribes worrying’

April 21, 2017

SIBU: A recent study which showed that 16 per cent of undergraduates are willing to accept bribes, raises a red flag on the need to inculcate integrity among the people.

According to the Corruption Prevention Action Effectiveness Perception Study among students by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) last year, this group of students were willing to accept bribes if they have the opportunity and power to do so.

Quoting the figure from the study, MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Shamsun Bahrin Mohd Jamil reportedly said the figure was worrying because only 10.7 per cent of the students in 2015 and 11.3 per cent in 2014 had stated their willingness to receive bribes.

The study also found 18.2 per cent of the students were prepared to bribe to avoid action, an increase of 0.8 per cent from 17.4 per cent in 2015, added Shamsun .

Shamsun was quoted to have said this during a media conference after the signing of a Corruption-Free Pledge (IBR) at Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) level at the university campus in Arau recently.

Commenting on the result of the survey, Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah described it as a worrying trend among undergraduates who will be employed .in the public service  and private sector.

“There is a real need for a relook into how we mould our school and varsity students so that they will always be of high moral, God fearing and despising corruption as a way of life,” Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman told The Borneo Post yesterday.

On a different note, he urged parents to ensure that their children spend their pocket money responsibly and not on drug, which could ruin their future.

His remarks came following the recent disclosure by National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) that using school children to push drugs was a common modus operandi of drug dealers.

State AADK assistant director Winnie Lungit had said education institutions including schools have become the main target for drug dealers, knowing parents would give their children pocket money.

Abdul Karim, who is state chairman of the National Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse (Pemadam), warned that peddlers were able to sell their drugs to students probably because these student can afford to pay for them.

Drug pushers would use all means to sell their drugs and that he was not surprised schools and educational institutions were among places that they carry out their activities.

“This is reflected in the number of school students and those in higher institutions involved in drug abuse.” -TheBorneoPost