KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 6 -- Malaysia needs stronger transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure government agencies can be effectively scrutinised by the public, said the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center).

Its head of research and policy advocacy Arief Hamizan said existing avenues for members of the public to demand accountability from government bodies remain limited, while a culture of secrecy within the bureaucracy continues to erode public confidence.

He was commenting on the proposed special task force between the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) to address revenue leakages at ports.

"It was a positive step, but its role, powers and implementatio...