The Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (MASSCOM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, was recently awarded the Creative Content Development Research Grant from the National Governance Integrity and Anti-Corruption Center (GIACC).
The team led by the Dean of the Faculty, Assoc.Prof.Dr Massila Hamzah and members Dr Suhaimee Saahar@Saabar, Dr Shazleen Mohamed, YM Dr Tengku Elena Tengku Mahamad, Abuzar Abdul Halim, YM Raja Putri Nadiah Raja Ahmad, Aeyneda Zairyn Abdul Jalil, Norasikin Alimom, and Muhammad Fadhli Abdul Rahman were awarded the grant valued at RM146,760.00 on 19th January 2021.
According to Dr. Massila, “corruption is a social disease that can ruin the society and destroy a country. Therefore, we must not give up in our efforts to prevent and eradicate corruption. We all have a vital role to play.”
The Dean also hopes that with the cooperation provided by GIACC and MASSCOMM, UiTM, issues on corruption can be solved. Furthermore, it is hoped that this project will help inculcate a culture of anti-corruption among Malaysians.
The funding body, GIACC is a center in the Prime Minister’s Department that acts as an advisory channel in terms of governance, integrity, and anti-corruption to all local and international government and private sectors. It was established in 2018 in line with the government’s seriousness in eliminating corruption.
The grant is hoped to be used to develop creative content for GIACC to help raise awareness on the risks of corruption, as well as to promote integrity in line with the government’s initiative to promote good governance and reduce corruption cases in the country.
For years, anti-corruption measures and policies have been introduced by the Malaysian government and various organizations to eradicate corruption in society. Yet, the strategies have not been fully effective to tackle corruption.
The project is expected to appeal to the younger generation and get more youth engaged in the fight against corruption in the country. This supports one of UiTM’s missions in preparing our students with the skills and knowledge needed in shaping the nation towards excellence and integrity.