By RAHIMI YUNUS / Pic By TMR

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has put in place the necessary controls including a Whistle-blowing Policy, a separate independent committee to pursue any possible ethical breaches and an anti-bribery management system.

MAHB procurement and contract GM Ibrahim Chang Boon Teck said the company has implemented multiple policies and programmes to ensure ethical adherences and enhance awareness on the matter.

He said the company had since 2014 established a Corporate Integrity Unit (CIU), headed by an officer seconded from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“We have in place a Whistleblowing Policy to guide our employees, external parties who have business relationships with the company, and the public in dealing with disclosure of improprieties covered under the policy,” he said in an email reply to The Malaysian Reserve.

He said the Whistleblowing Independent Committee will deliberate on any concerns raised by the employees and external parties, and will establish an investigation team.

“In fact, since early January this year, we have embarked on an initiative to benchmark our processes and practices to international standards, where we will pursue an ISO certification for Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) by March next year.”

He said staff who are involved in the total procurement chain are the most exposed to the risk of bribery and corruption, based on the findings by the unit at the end of last year.

“We must practise strong governance during the procurement process and implement controls for all the ‘what ifs’ along the way.”

Ibrahim said the controls for the departmental process would involve human and manual interventions, while the company closes the loop-holes in its procurement process, both on technical and non-technical fronts.

Earlier this month, four MAHB staff were arrested by the MACC for allegedly receiving monthly inducement between RM500 and RM10,000 over the rental of business space at airports nationwide.

The suspects, who hold managerial or executive positions, were arrested at different locations including at MAHB managing offices in Penang, Sabah and Labuan, as well as at the MACC Selangor office.

The allegations include collecting monthly kickbacks of between RM500 and RM10,000 from a jewellery company between the year 2006 and 2014 for the approval and renewal of rental business spaces at the airports.

Ibrahim, however, did not comment on the arrest as investigations are ongoing.

Apart from the ABMS, Ibrahim said MAHB has other mechanisms to mitigate the risk of bribery and corruption, which include ISO 27001 Certification of Information Security Management System (ISMS) and a no gift policy.

The ISMS was obtained in 2011 to implement controls and prevent any data leakages in the organisation.

Additionally, MAHB’s human resource division and CIU have conducted various awareness programmes and roadshows, on top of an integrity pledge signed by all employees.