KUCHING: The Integrity and Anti-Corruption Course should also be introduced at school, said Parti Bersatu Malaysia secretary-general Nor Hizwan Ahmad.
He said while the course is being made compulsory in all higher learning institutions (IPTs) starting next year, the Education Ministry should also look into introducing the subject in primary schools.
“This is because it is during students’ formative years at primary school level that it is easier to nurture them to stay away from corrupt practices later in their lives.
“Exposing the subject to tertiary students and making it a compulsory subject may be too late. By the time they are in their late teens or early 20s, it would be harder to instil values like turning down bribes.
“And just because they sit for the subject in universities, or score with flying colours, it doesn’t mean that they will stay on the straight and narrow path in their daily lives.
“It merely means that they have a theoretical understanding of the subject,” he said in a statement today.
He emphasised that it has been proven easier to shape young minds than more developed ones.
“If students at primary school level are exposed to the subject early, chances are they will be able to absorb the teachings better and practise what was taught throughout their lives. As the Malay proverb goes, ‘melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya’,” he added.
Nor Hizwan pointed out that over the decades, multiple corruption scandals have plagued the country causing leakages to the tune of billions of ringgit.
This resulted in Malaysia’s Corruption Perception Index slipping to 62nd in 2021 compared to 57th in the year 2020.
“Furthermore, besides institutional reforms, one important element in battling graft is to change the mindsets of Malaysians, some of whom still feel that corruption is part of our ‘culture’ or an ‘acceptable’ practice.
“Changing this requires us to have a long-term plan that includes early education campaigns on the pitfalls of corruption,” he stressed.
