KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 92 organisations from both the public and private sector were recognised for their efforts and commitment in cultivating integrity and good governance practices at the inaugural edition of the Integrity, Governance and Anti-Corruption (AIGA) Awards 2022.

At the event held at the Malaysia Integrity Institute (IIM) here on Wednesday (Jan 18), Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) won the Platinum award beating the likes of the the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), Johor Port Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Northport Bhd, who were Gold award recipients with the highest scores.

Bernas was recognised for its unique practice in establishing an independent whistleblowing channel managed by a third party.

Its efforts also saw an increasing number of reports highlighting corrupt practices with statistics from 2020 to 2022 showing an increase from zero to seven reports, respectively.

The evaluation for the Platinum award was carried out by a special evaluation panel comprising Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar and Prof Datuk Siti Hamisah Tapsir.

IIM chief executive officer Datuk Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi said they received as many as 116 entries from both public and private organisations, with only 92 selected to receive the AIGA Award.

“The winners comprised 16 organisations that won Gold, 34 winning the Silver and 42 winning Bronze.

“This reflects the commitment of many parties towards the importance of practicing a culture of integrity and good governance in their organisation,” she said.

In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the AIGA was aligned with the government’s focus on prioritising integrity and good governance alongside erasing corruption at all layers of society.

“The time has come for government officials, industries and the entire community to emphasise accountability and transparency while also carrying out their responsibilities with integrity.

“It is hard for the country to progress if we do not reject corruption nationwide.

“This (rejecting corruption) can only happen if everyone plays a role to ensure corruption does not creep into our society,” he said.

The AIGA was created by the IIM to recognise and appreciate the public and private sectors’ commitment and effort in cultivating integrity and good governance practices.

This recognition also sets a benchmark to measure the effectiveness of integrity measures within organisations alongside curbing corruption.