STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY AMBASSADOR HUSSEIN HANIFF PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA

Mr. President,

1. Allow me at the outset to join other speakers before me in thanking and commending the efforts of the Bureau of the Ad Hoc Committee in spearheading the deliberations of the negotiations for the United Nations Convention against Corruption. I must also pay tribute to the late Ambassador Hector Charry Samper, the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee who passed away on 6 September 2003. His leadership, invaluable experience and diplomatic skills have provided an important contribution to the task of the Ad Hoc Committee. I also wish to congratulate you on your election as President of the Conference.

2. I am pleased to be here to represent my country Malaysia at this historic conference. I take the opportunity to extend my appreciation to the Government of Mexico for hosting the High-level Political Conference for the Purpose of Signing the United Nations Convention against Corruption in this beautiful city of Merida and congratulate Mexico for the splendid job it has done in preparing this conference.

Mr. President,

3. The fact that so many countries are here for the signing of the first multilateral treaty to combat corruption clearly illustrates the importance of the Convention. The successful conclusion of this convention, under the auspices of the United Nations, and involving a large number of the countries of the world, is indeed heartening news. The completion of this negotiation is certainly caused for celebration but not to be taken for granted. We must recognize that the fight against corruption is far from over. We have taken the first steps together, and now we must bring this instrument to life as meaningful tools in our fight against corruption.

4. Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that impacts on every aspect of society. As such my delegation remains gravely concerned at the real threat and dangers of corruption on our societies. As a product of massive social transformation arising out of several factors this age has witnessed phenomenal increase in such crimes, the operation and effect of which has been felt far beyond the national frontiers.

5. Towards this end my delegation appreciates the efforts of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of Convention against Corruption, which held seven sessions in Vienna, Austria and has successfully concluded the convention within the required timeframe. My delegation wishes to express our happiness and satisfaction on this achievement.

Mr. President,

6. In today's world of transnational crime and international criminals, bringing fugitives to justice is a major challenge and problem. The different laws and legal procedures in different countries, the consequent complex extradition problems, certain safe/assured sanctuaries in some countries and the non-cooperative stance of some countries make the task of bringing such wanted criminals to book almost Herculean and to certain extent resulted in making the forces of lawlessness gain an upper hand. It is our hope that with the enforcement of this convention, we will be in a position to overcome these problems.

7. The international community is painfully aware of the economic loss perpetrated by such crimes, which has caused widespread human sufferings, which at times go beyond belief. We must all join forces to combat corruption and the United Nations Convention against Corruption is the first global legally binding instrument that breaks new ground with provisions on asset recovery and prevention.

Mr. President,

8. We must ask ourselves how well is the world community prepared to face this new phenomenon of criminals, who recognize no borders, no laws and no governments and who remain invisible in spite of the widespread presence. In our view, any delay on our part in reversing this rising trend of serious menace will not only raise the cost in terms of economic loss but also gravely endanger civilized existence. To succeed in this enterprise, the world community has to be in full gear to chase, track down, apprehend and bring the fugitives to justice. The idea is to leave criminals nowhere to hide and individuals will no longer be able to escape their home countries and live without fear of prosecution.

Mr. President,

9. The time has now come for us to give practical shape to the substance and spirit of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. We must ensure that the UN Convention against Corruption be implemented by all member countries, with necessary legislations enacted and effective co-ordination and cooperation amongst member States ensured. The breeding grounds of corruption will have to be identified and understood, and suitable counter-measures initiated without compromising the sovereignties of the concerned States.

10. Over-coming and controlling corrupt activities through systematic and well coordinated initiatives is the crying need of the time. We must generate these initiatives and implement them effectively through collective will. This is the only way of making this world a clean and safe place to live in and for ushering in a new world order where the law abiding citizen has the upper hand and not those involved in corrupt activities. We have indeed today achieved a significant milestone in our international efforts to combat corruption. With this convention, countries have agreed to cooperate with one another in every aspect of the fight against corruption, including prevention, investigation and the prosecution of offenders.

Mr. President,

11. The UN Convention against Corruption is an important convention to fight crimes against humanity. However, such convention only expresses serious concern of the world community over such crimes. The world community today must move a step further, and give a concrete shape to this concern. Most importantly is that this enhanced international endeavour must be demonstrative enough to put fear in the minds of such criminals. My delegation sincerely feels that the world community is united in its resolve to get rid of this crime. Let us remember that mankind is looking upon us with expectations. It is therefore time for us to translate these concerns into workable situation. In doing so we all must seriously reflect on what our own obligations are towards the UN Convention against Corruption.

12. In Malaysia, we have already put in place the necessary legislations and mechanisms to fight and eradicate corruption, abuse of power and malpractices. The legislations provide ample powers to the Anti-Corruption Agency of Malaysia to carry out punitive and preventive measures.

13. Malaysia has also enforced the Anti-Money Laundering Act since 2001. And last year, the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, a legal instrument necessary for international cooperation in fighting corruption was also enacted and enforced.

Mr. President,

14. The United Nations Convention against Corruption is viewed by Malaysia with greater optimism in our fight against corruption. The recovery of ill-gotten gains will be made much easier in the future. In this context, let me put on record that Malaysia is fully committed at the political and administrative levels of leadership to fight corruption. The Prime Minister of Malaysia in his speech recently had announced that Malaysia will launch a National Integrity Plan and form a Malaysian Institute of Public Ethics. Furthermore, Malaysia is also in the process of setting up its Anti-Corruption Academy scheduled to be operational at the end of 2004. This clearly signifies the strong political will of Malaysia to fight and eradicate corruption at all costs, at every level and at all times. Indeed, the results of our efforts in this regard have been very encouraging and effective.

Mr. President,

15. I wish to express the Malaysian delegation's gratitude to Mr. Antonio Maria Costa, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and his team for the tireless efforts and support that they have extended to the Ad Hoc Committee. We are confident that Mr. Costa and his diligent team would continue to render their professional assistance in providing the necessary secretariat services to the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention.

16. I wish to conclude by expressing our joint belief that this High-level political conference shall pave the way for a clear legal mandate to provide for a clear vision and a clear mission to combat corruption. The key to success is with us. This is a global problem requiring a global solution. Let us all now work together towards the full implementation of the convention. Consequently, we look forward to the early entry into force of the convention. On our part, Malaysia will place high priority to an early ratification of the Convention.

Thank you, Mr. President.