Article Search By: Mr. Wan Muhammad Isam

Source: MACC

By: Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Member of the Malaysian Integrity Institute

 

Ethics and integrity are essential to good Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) practice in all workplaces. A member of the Malaysian Integrity Institute, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said, he is often asked how unethical practices and corruption can affect safety and health in the workplace.

"What effect does corruption have on workplace and public safety?

"Ethics, honesty and morality are key elements to the concept of integrity. In the workplace, those who act with integrity will always be truthful, responsible, transparent and trustworthy.

"This includes treating colleagues, stakeholders and customers with respect," he said in a statement yesterday.

He said, civil servants, employees of government-linked companies (GLCs) and those from the corporate sector should always maintain integrity and avoid corrupt practices.

He said, integrity needs to be applied when they join an organization so that over time it will become part of their identity.

"If a person acts with integrity, he will do the right thing even when no one is watching.

"According to the Malaysian Institute of Business Ethics (BEIM), the elimination of fraud is an important aspect of sustainable safety management, especially in managing OSH, accidents or incidents that can occur in the workplace," he said.

 

Lee said, here are some examples of fraudulent practices that can impact security results in various ways.

i) Purchase of low quality or sub-standard PPE or tools/equipment, this may increase the risk of worker injury.

ii) Inaccurate records, resulting in incorrect assessment of hazardous situations or product characteristics or incorrect distribution of much-needed support to correct the risky environment.

iii) Taking shortcuts, bypassing the SOP, will result in unsafe practices and unsafe actions.

iv) Abuse of power, this results in the exploitation of weaker beings to work in a dangerous, dirty work environment and aims solely to achieve personal goals.

v) Conflicts of interest, which would reward contracts to less efficient vendors, create safety hazards and expose workers to operating hazardous environments without adequate protection.

 

He said, there is no denying that only honesty, integrity and morals can help deal with the problems mentioned above and prevent corruption.

"We should not tolerate corruption and let it become a culture in our society especially among OSH practitioners.

"In the fight against corruption, elements of integrity, governance processes, morals and ethical behavior should be integrated into existing safety training measures. All OSH practitioners must practice integrity and hate corruption," he said.

According to him, they need to uphold ethical and moral values ​​so that when they are at work, they will realize the importance of not being involved in corruption.

He said, although the efforts of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to fight corruption are welcome, it is very clear that the fight should include all workplaces.

"Corruption in Malaysia is at an alarming level and action needs to be intensified to deal with this threat in our society.

"Corruption in any form must not be tolerated because it impoverishes the country, causes hardship for the people and makes the economy decline.

"If it involves OSH practitioners and agencies, it can result in accidents that can cause injury or death.

"We cannot be complacent and complacent with corruption because it not only attacks the economic and social fabric of society but also the moral foundation of order," he said.

He explained that efforts should be made continuously to cultivate the values ​​of integrity and ethics because people with high integrity are unlikely to engage in corrupt practices under any circumstances.

Lee emphasized, it should be the goal of all OSH practitioners to drive OSH Excellence with integrity for the future.

Date of Input: 22/10/2024 | Updated: 22/10/2024 | muhammad.isam