Reinforcing experience of 18 students in Integrity and Anti-Corruption Course (KIAR) through visit to MACC Pahang

PEKAN, 7 December 2022 – Student visits to any Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office have been outlined in the Student Learning Plan to reinforce the learning experience.

Virtual tours were held for two semesters due to pandemic constraints that resulted in online learning.

A total of 18 UMP Pekan students who enrolled in the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Course (KIAR) recently visited MACC Pahang.

The visit led by the Dean of the Centre for Human Sciences (PSK), Dr. Mohamad Hilmi Mat Said was also accompanied by several instructors of the KIAR course.

In the session, KIAR Course Coordinator, Dr. Hadijah Ahmad shared brief information about KIAR course: enrolment, assessments, reinforcement activities and programmes carried out.

At the same time, MACC Pahang Director, Tuan Hairuzam Mohmad Amin@Hamim and MACC investigation officers also shared their experience in investigating corruption cases, the procedures involved, relevant acts and the punishment of corruption offences.

He also presented information on handling MACC’s core functions in most government and private agencies following the actual procedures to combat corruption.

He said that, in addition, several areas of career need investigation officers such as engineering, finance, and law.

“MACC’s increasingly challenging and demanding task requires more young people to join the MACC team in carrying out the trust of Malaysians,” he said, who has been involved in investigation cases for more than ten years.

The students were also taken to a video interview room during the visit.

For transparency in the investigation procedure, the room has front, rear and side cameras and is also equipped with sophisticated audio systems.

“The closed-circuit camera also displays four viewing panels on each side of the room.

“When every conversation recording is completed, three copies of the recording will be given to the witness, the investigation officer and also the submission of documents to the court,” he said.

In addition, the students went through the experience of being in the room for identification parade which has two parts, namely the part for the accused person and another for the witness who make the identification.

He said the procedure for parade identification involves three times identification and each session involves the accused person standing in a row with several people with similar physical characteristics.

“Once the identification is made three times and the witness is sure that the accused person is the one who committed the crime, the identification parade session ends.

“But if the opposite happens, the session will be repeated to get certainty from the witnesses,” he said.

At the same time, students were also taken to a convicted person’s detention cell and a waste warehouse to see some confiscated items bought in cash by offenders such as luxury cars.

According to Tuan Hairuzam, there are seven detention cells for men and two for women, complete with closed-circuit cameras.

“The confiscation warehouse is a place for confiscating the property of the accused who committed the crime of money laundering.

“For property that still has a liability bond with the bank, the accused person has to pay bonds as collateral to release the confiscation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hadijah added that a visit to MACC is good because PSK has always supported the aspirations of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and MACC in fostering students to become agents of integrity and anticorruption.

“It is also in line with the Malaysian Prime Minister’s desire to produce a workforce with integrity,” she said.

By: Dr. Hadijah Ahmad, Centre For Human Sciences (PSK)

Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, Engineering College/Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology