Better CPI rank but patronage and cronyism persist, groups say

Despite Malaysia’s improved global corruption perception rank in 2023, anti-graft watchdogs caution about lingering setbacks that must be addressed for the country to strengthen its commitment to good governance and transparency.

The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) said that Malaysia’s 57th spot out of 180 countries, scoring 50 out of 100 in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023 denoted a positive change for how corruption is perceived in the nation.

However, it said these signs of progress towards better governance and transparency do not...