Good Governance, Anti-corruption Drive Key To Economic Growth - PM Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s economic growth efforts will not succeed if driven solely by economic strength, but must go hand in hand with good governance and continuous action against leakages and corruption, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

He said history has shown that many countries face difficulties when corruption and abuse of power are allowed to take root, despite having ample funds, influence and economic strength.

“We talk about the need to drive growth, but in any country, economic strength alone cannot solve problems if leakages, corruption and abuse of power are left unchecked.

“But I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation to colleagues (from ministries, GLCs and the private sector) because they have shown the courage, determination and firmness to clean up the machinery, whether in government, government-linked companies or the private sector, from the tendency to disregard rules,” he said.

Anwar said this in his keynote address at the Asian Confederation of Institutes of Internal Auditors (ACIIA) Conference 2025 here today.

Meanwhile, he said the role of accountants and internal auditors is paramount and remains central in addressing challenges such as pandemics, economic uncertainty, or technological disruption, regardless of whether a government is stable or wealthy.

“We have seen in the past notable, prominent audit or companies or rating agencies come under scrutiny because of the lack of integrity, the complicity with the excesses, purely because of greed,” he said.

Therefore, Anwar said accountability must remain the core pillar to ensure the practice of a responsible and incorruptible government.

“Our ambition is to move the nation closer to high-income status and to build one of the world's most competitive economies. But ambition cannot endure without confidence in our institutions. Auditors in both the public and private sectors are central to safeguarding that confidence,” he said.

Anwar said there is a need to act and prevail with transparency, accountability and trust because these are the foundations that allow institutions to endure, particularly when tested.

He noted that the issue of checks and balances is not optional, with auditors and internal auditors playing key roles based on their capability and integrity.

“I always emphasise the need for integrity because, with due respect to you all, we have seen excesses among political leaders, civil servants, and even auditors. So the issue of integrity, accountability must be at the core of our work,” he added.

-- BERNAMA