The Problem of Corruption

CORRUPTION is a disease that can sweep through a society like a tidal wave, leaving in its wake a trail of negligence, lethargy, inefficiency and callous disregard of man’s inhumanity to man. What is it like to live in such a society? Why has it taken such strong root in so many countries? Is there no sense of outrage and shame against such a phenomenon among our elite? What can be done to stem the tide? Is it corruption as it is known in the West? These disturbing questions and more are answered in this book. Corruption in all its forms, bribery, nepotism and extortion, is shown for what it is – a major cause of the dehumanization and victimization of innocent people. The corrupt have no aspirations for the betterment of their societies. For this reason, all decent people must be gravely concerned with the problem and nurture the next generation to confront the corrupt and disrupt their way of life.Syed Hussein Alatas’ last position was Professor and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of the Malay World and Civilization, National University of Malaysia. He obtained his PhD in the political and social sciences from the University of Amsterdam in 1963. He served as Professor and Head of the Department of Malay Studies at the National University of Singapore from 1967 until he took up the position of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malaya from 1988 to 1991. He authored several books during his illustrious career, including The Myth of the Lazy Native (London: Frank Cass, 1977), Intellectuals in Developing Societies (London: Frank Cass, 1977), Corruption: Its Nature, Causes and Functions (Aldershot: Gower, 1990), and Corruption and the Destiny of Asia (Petaling Jaya: Prentice Hall, 1999), in addition to numerous articles in scientific journals. He was awarded the Woodrow Wilson International Center fellowship in Washington D.C. in 1982-1983. Professor Alatas passed away on January 23rd 2007 at his home in Kuala Lumpur.