Malaysian de facto Law Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz commented that if an island of only four million people like Singapore is unable to control graft, then it would have a real problem on its hands. This remark implies that Malaysia has difficulty in controlling graft because of its larger population of about 24 million.

The Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain and measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among a country's public officials and politicians.

Last year, Berlin-based Transparency International ranked Singapore, with a CPI score of 9.4, as the fifth most corruption-free country among 163 nations while Malaysia, with a CPI score of five, was in 44th spot. A score of five is the number Transparency International considers the borderline figure distinguishing countries that do and do not have a serious corruption problem.

We are proud of our Government's intolerance of corruption and ability to maintain a relatively low level of corruption all these years. This has helped to make Singapore a desirable country to live in, to invest and to do business.

In addition, our Government has made Singapore a place where the system works. The physical environment and efficient administration make life in Singapore hassle-free.

A government system that works for four million people will also function effectively for 24 million people as it depends on the ability of the government to manage. Japan, which has a population of about 127 million, managed to achieve a CPI of 7.6 and was placed in 17th position.

Goh Kian Huat