KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya’s apparent interference in the work of enforcement agencies is among the reasons for the country’s decline in the 2015 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), said Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M).

This “interference” includes the government’s move to replace former Attorney-General Gani Patail with Apandi Ali in the midst of a multi-agency probe into the RM2.6 billion donation made to Prime Minister Najib Razak’s bank accounts, and the transfer of two senior leaders from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Scandals surrounding debt-ridden state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) also led to the country dropping four spots down to number 54 in the CPI rankings, said TI-M president Akhbar Satar in an exclusive interview with FMT today.

In 2013, Malaysia was placed at the 53rd spot but saw an improvement when it climbed up to 50th place in 2014.

These rankings cannot be taken lightly, said Akhbar, as they were important in the government’s effort to woo foreign investors to the country.

“Checks conducted found that the current controversies facing the nation have affected the government’s credibility.

“They have also influenced the decisions of foreign investors to invest here.”