SHAH ALAM, 27 May - The Cekak Pusaka Hanafi Martial Arts Association of Malaysia became the first national martial arts association to collaborate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

According to SPRM Deputy Director of Community Education, Ab Muniem Ibrahim, the collaboration was established through the launch of the Self Defense Awareness Program with the slogan SPRM@Antirasuah.

He said, the Sedar program is a product or brand to promote Silat Cekak Pusaka Hanafi among the community, especially to the youth.

"Sedar package emphasizes the importance of protecting oneself from physical and mental attacks or disturbances. This combination of physical and mental self-defense is capable of producing quality individuals and becoming a valuable asset to religion, nation and country.

"Through the quality of the silat movement and the noble values applied in the teaching of Silat Cekak Pusaka Hanafi, Sedar is capable in working together with the government to crimes, drugs, corruption, abuse of power and so on," he said when officiating Anti-Corruption Dialogue Program with the Malaysian Hanafi Heritage Cekak Martial Arts Association and the Sedar@Anti-Corruption Launch at UiTM Puncak Perdana here on Saturday.

Also present were the President of the martial arts association, Dr MD Radzi Hanafi and the Deputy Rector of Student Affairs (HEP) of UiTM Selangor Branch, Associate Professor Dr Badrul Isa.

Ab Muniem also hopes that the cooperation between the MACC and the martial arts association can continue in the future in an effort to combat corruption and abuse of power.

According to him, the strength of the association in 13 states and three countries with 250 martial arts classes and 200,000 members can be nurtured with a true anti-corruption identity.

"The implementation of the anti-corruption dialogue program such associations were also to provide early exposure to the participants on the best way to manage funds in preventing the leakage of government funds.

"This program is also expected to make sports bodies and associations  as agents to spread anti-corruption messages to the community," he added.

Attended by more than 170 participants, the program were regarded as successful and has achieved its objectives as a debut event with Cekak Pusaka Hanafi Martial Arts Association of Malaysia.