Digitech new avenues for graft, too: Azam
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025
Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 Text Size: Azam posing with his team and the organising committee. Kota Kinabalu: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said while digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain bring notable benefits, they also create new avenues for corruption if proper controls are not in place. Speaking at the International Conference on Technology, Management and Sustainability (ICTMS 2025) at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sabah branch, Azam pointed out the double-edged nature of technological advancement in sectors including taxation, e-commerce and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting.
Advertisement 'Innovation brings great potential from improving audit quality to facilitating compliance, but it also opens new spaces for corruption, fraud and breach of trust if there are no controls,' he said. 'Using systems alone without applying human thinking in making decisions is important. From a governance perspective, if there are good systems but those managing them lack integrity and accountability, then those systems can be used for wrongdoing,' Azam added. Azam, who is also an Adjunct Professor at UiTM's Accounting Research Institute (ARI), said the commission has extensively adopted technology to enhance enforcement efficiency and impact. He noted that widespread technology use has significantly aided intelligence and investigation work, with some cases now resolved within three to six months compared to much longer periods previously.
Advertisement Azam also drew attention to warnings from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Interpol that Southeast Asia has become a hub for cyber fraud and digital money laundering. Criminal syndicates are exploiting fintech applications, unlicensed digital wallets and cross-border platforms to hide illegal flows using fake identities and AI-generated documents. 'In 2023 alone, more than RM330 million was lost due to fraud, representing a 25 percent increase compared to 2022, involving cryptocurrency abuse, fake investment platforms and mostly stemming from weaknesses in digital channel monitoring,' he said. He cited Operation Tropicana as an example, where MACC uncovered a cross-border investment fraud syndicate operating boiler rooms across Malaysia. The conference was organised by UiTM's Accounting Research Institute in collaboration with MACC's Financial Analysis Division, bringing together distinguished guests including Professor Emeritus Dr Normah Omar and Sabah MACC Director Datuk Karunanithy Y Subbiah. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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