PUTRAJAYA, 2 AUGUST – A co-operative is an autonomous organisation where  its members are united voluntarily to achieve shared  economic, social and cultural interest through a collective that is managed  democratically.

Integrity management in co-operatives should not be taken lightly because its duties and responsibilities are closely connected to integrity.

The MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Prevention), Dato' Sri Shamshun Baharin Mohd Jamil said in the context of co-operatives, any co-operative which has set up a company can also be charged and punished if the company allowed its staff to commit corruption in order to obtain a project or to receive any benefit for the commercial organisation.

“Section 17A of the MACC Act puts  the responsibility to prevent corruption on commercial organisations and its management. A comprehensive action demands that co-operatives need to emphasise and implement efforts to empower integrity and anti-corruption measures at the internal level of the co-operative including its subsidiaries. The failure to prevent corruption can be charged and punished under this provision.

“Apart from that, the responsibility to report corruption is the responsibility of all parties in the effort to handle symptoms of corruption successfully,” he said.

He added that commercial organisations which are charged in  court must prove that it has implemented adequate preventive measures to prevent corruption. Some of the corruption prevention measures which needed to be implemented are to provide training and communicating anti-corruption awareness programs through  announcements via bulletins and posters to its workforce.

He said that during a sharing session entitled   “Co-operative Integrity Talk Series 2, Corruption Offences by Commercial Organisations (Corporate Liability) Section 17A of the MACC Act 2009’ which was held virtually through Zoom Webinar,  organised by the National Co-operative Movement of Malaysia (ANGKASA) today.

Also present were the President of ANGKASA who is also the President of the ASEAN Co-operative Organisation, Dato' Abdul Fattah Abdullah; Vice President of ANGKASA, Dr. Hj. Mohd Azlan Yahya and Director of Supervision and Governance Division, Malaysian Co-operative Societies Commission, Tuan Hj Ibrahim Kasah.