Fight against corruption in Malaysia

That is good news for Malaysia. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the successor to Dr. Mahatir, has, in the first 100 days of his reign, started a major campaign against corruption in the country. Last week, Last week, two prominent were charged separately for corruption and more cases were promised by the PM.

We believe that the drive for a cleaner country promotes the country, and as such, provides it with a new and strong competitive advantage. It comes close to Singapore, where a clean environment resulted in a buoyant economy, and, naturally, a richer per-capita income. Singapore's civil servants are highly paid, well regarded, their profession a clear career path for many graduates - compare this with other countries in the region.

If Malaysia is able to clean up and stay on course, the country has surely found a way to compete against other giants in the region - those that are perceived as much more corrupt - Indonesia or China comes to mind.

Thinking about efforts to reverse declining foreign direct investment, this could be just a road that brings new riches to Malaysia.