A senior MACC officer is reported in the Press as saying that such a policy is difficult to implement in Malaysia. It seems that the difference between routine gift giving to encourage clients and bribery is not well understood; despite being clear enough to most people

Furthermore the giving or reception of gifts is something quite separate from corrupt activity; which is what the MACC exists to deal with. Buy Najib a drink or invite him to dinner is one thing. Collude with him to steal billions from the State quite another. Any inability to make the distinction has to be regarded as an unsuitability factor in MACC senior appointments.

The real question here is whether this is simply an example of official obtuseness or indicative of a need to review senior recruitment policy. With the wholly corrupt PN in the driving seat there is not much doubt about the answer