@Halal July/August 2023 | Page 39

Integrity , transparency and trust remain fundamental values for Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC )

INTERVIEW

JULY-AUGUST , 2023 | 11

Upholding core values

Integrity , transparency and trust remain fundamental values for Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC )
BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN

THE ISLAMIC Tourism Centre ( ITC ) has come a long way since its founding in 2009 .

ITC Corporate Development and Finance Division Senior Manager Mohd Zaidi Bahirin Zainal Abidin said : “ We had only nine employees when we started . We kept expanding and now employ more than 20 dedicated staff . With this growth , we want to further uphold our integrity , transparency and trust values .
“ ITC , a company limited by guarantee under the Ministry of Tourism , Arts and Culture ( MOTAC ), has its own governance and work procedures independent from MOTAC , therefore requiring its integrity plan .”
Hence , in line with the MADANI government recommendation , ITC has launched its anti-corruption policy document , the Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan 2023-2027 ( OACP ), at the organisational level to address problems and weaknesses in governance , integrity and
anti-corruption in organisations .
The OACP will be implemented over five years , from 2023-2027 . The scope of ITC ’ s OACP implementation includes all aspects of anti-corruption , integrity and governance involving all areas and activities in this organisation .
STRENGTHENING ITC ’ S GOVERNANCE , MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS
According to records from Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission ( MACC ), Zaidi shared ITC has not reported any cases or severe misconduct .
“ Therefore , this record should be continued to ensure that ITC staff are always free from the symptoms of corruption that will tarnish the good name of this company ,” he said .
“ Hence , the OACP will serve as a guide for all ITC ’ s top management , employees , and tourism stakeholders aimed to eliminate situations and lower the likelihood of corruption , unethical and unprofessional behaviours in all facets of the ITC ’ s operation in line with the Islamic values .”
“ All ITC officers and staff are fully committed to ensuring the implementation of every initiative planned in this OACP will be achieved . We are determined to cultivate integrity in delivering services guided by laws , regulations and directives in force to produce a company free from corruption , abuse of power and malpractice .”
GUARANTEEING TRUST AND SUPPORT
With the existence of this plan , he also believes it will facilitate the achievement of the vision and mission , improve the quality of service delivery at ITC , and help build the trust and loyalty of cli-
Mohd Zaidi Bahirin Zainal Abidin
ents and stakeholders .
By strengthening ITC ’ s governance , management and operations , the OACP will guarantee continuous trust and support of tourism industry players and stakeholders by fostering work governance free from deviations and leakages .
“ I am confident that by putting the strategies and initiatives outlined in OACP into practice , we will continue to expand and become more well-known in the Muslimfriendly tourism sector domestically and abroad .”
To ensure the effectiveness of this OACP , all initiatives that have been identified will be monitored and reviewed periodically . — R & R

Prevention ’ s better than cure

Committed to arrest corruption at its grassroots levels before it sprouts towards other divisions within ITC
Mohd Ikhram Abdul Rani ,
BY DANIAL FAUZI

AS THE Malaysia MADANI concept is steadily gaining traction , many organisations are also progressing in adapting their policies to fit their needs .

However , corruption remains one of the most widespread issues plaguing the country , destroying public trust and tarnishing the nation ’ s image .
Therefore , the Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) recently unveiled its latest plans , dubbed Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan ( OACP ) 2023-2027 , to uproot corruption at its grassroots levels before it sprouts towards other divisions within ITC .
The OACP originated through a meeting of the Anti-Corruption Committee at the Ministry level , whereby the government requested all agencies under the Ministry
of Tourism , Arts and Culture ( MOTAC ) to develop their respective anti-corruption plans respectively .
Once a solid framework was developed , a consultant from the Malaysian Institute of Integrity ( IIM ) was appointed . A physical workshop was then implemented to develop further the framework to prevent corruption .
“ During the workshop , we mapped out a clear picture of the potential types of corruption ,” said Mohd Ikhram Abdul Rani , Executive , Corporate Development and Finance Division of ITC .
“ With many divisions and units , there are many potential corruption risks . We need to identify the potential risks of corruption and the preventive measures to counter them .”
Ikhram noted that the key objectives of the OACP were as follows :
• To empower the public service delivery system and its effectiveness .
• To assist organisations and stakeholders in developing OACP to identify integrity , governance and anti-corruption issues .
• To provide a systematic platform for addressing corruption issues with the existence of the reporting mechanism to the organisation ’ s top management regularly .
• Corruption prevention from the grassroots level in line with the policies through the National Anti-Corruption Plan ( NACP ) The ITC ’ s OACP focuses on three priority areas which are ,
• Governance
• Islamic Tourism Development , and
• Administration and Corporate ” Ikhram added : “ Additionally , ITC ’ s
OACP introduced 44 initiatives that have been identified based on corruption ’ s causes , probabilities and potentials . These initiatives are then implemented based on analysing the level of impact and the degree of complexity of the corruption .”
Implementing ITC ’ s OACP improves an organisation ’ s shortcomings , especially in developing programmes that benefit the public and industry stakeholders .
“ For a company to attract consumers , they must gain their trust . That is the aim of our OACP . By getting consumers ’ trust , they will believe in our products and programmes ,” Ikhram explained .
Ikhram concluded integrity within an organisation acts as a bridge to gain the trust of the public and industry players . British author C . S . Lewis once said , “ Integrity is doing the right thing , even when no one is watching .” — R & R