ANTI-BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION POLICY
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Integrity is our core value and the guiding principle of our decisions and actions in the workplace. Crisis Relief Services & Training Berhad (“CREST”) is committed to performing our operation in a fair, open, honest, and transparent manner. CREST practices high ethical standards in everything that we do.
1.2 Bribery and corruption compromise business ethics and damages an organization’s reputation. As such, CREST strongly opposes any practice that improperly or illegally disrupts proper business conduct.
1.3 This Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy (“ABAC Policy”) provides a clear statement of the conduct which is expected of CREST’s personnel. This policy also applies to any third party who performs services for and on behalf of CREST.
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2. OBJECTIVE
2.1 The Board of Directors of CREST is committed to complying with the anti-bribery and corruption laws in Malaysia, and also other anti-bribery and corruption laws in all the countries that CREST operates. Thus, this ABAC Policy has been developed with the purpose of fulfilling the said legal and regulatory requirements and sets out the overall position on bribery and corruption in all forms, such as dealing with third parties, managing conflicts of interest, gifts, hospitality, and whistleblowing.
2.2 Ultimately, the objective of this ABAC Policy is to provide guidance for our personnel and business associates and assist them to identify and deal with bribery and corruption issues, as well as understanding their roles and responsibilities.
2.3 This ABAC Policy should also be read together with other policies and procedures, such as Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Employment Contract, and Memorandum of Understanding or Collaboration (MoU / MoC).
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3. SCOPE
This ABAC Policy applies to:
3.1 directors (both executive and non-executive), members, associate members, officers, employees of CREST including permanent, part-time and contract (fixed-term) employees, and volunteers (“Personnel”);
3.2 any third party (person or entity) who performs services for or on behalf of CREST. This includes actual and potential clients, customers, joint-ventures, joint-venture partners (local and overseas), outsourcing providers, contractors, consultants, sub-contractors, suppliers, vendors, agents, distributors, representatives, intermediaries and
3.3 joint-venture entities in which CREST has non-controlling interests, co-ventures, and associated companies are strongly encouraged to adopt these or similar principles.
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4. DEFINITIONS
For the purpose of this ABAC Policy:
a. Bribery means the act of giving or receiving ‘gratification’ in exchange for some kind of influence or action in return, that the recipient would otherwise not offer.
b. Company means Crisis Relief Services & Training Berhad 199801017686 (473815-A).
c. Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for personal gain. Essentially, it is the act of giving or receiving any gratification or reward in the form of cash or in-kind of high value for performing a task in relation to his/her job description.
d. Facilitation Payment is a payment or other provision made to or received personally from the third party in control of a process or decision, in order to secure or expedite a routine or administrative duty or function.
e. Gratification refers to “something of value” which includes, but not limited to money, donation, gift, loan, fee, reward, valuable security, information, property or interest in property, employment, appointment, release, forbearance, undertaking, promise, rebate, discount, services employment or contract of employment or services and agreement to give employment or render services in any capacity.
f. MACC Act means the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (including its amendments).
g. BOD refers to CREST’s Board of Directors.
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5. ANTI-BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION STATEMENT
5.1 The Company takes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of bribery and corruption and shall continuously conduct its business activities ethically, honestly, and with high standards of integrity. This also applies to the company any activities in all countries worldwide.
5.2 Since the provisions in this ABAC Policy are based on legal requirements, violating this policy may subject individuals and the Company to penalties, including fines and imprisonment. Such violations may also severely damage the reputation of the Company and its Personnel. As such, Personnel and Business Associates shall not, whether directly or indirectly, offer, give, receive or solicit any item of value, in an attempt to illicitly influence the decisions or actions of a person in a position of trust within an organization, either for the intended benefit of the Company or the persons involved in the transaction.
5.3 The anti-bribery and corruption statement applies equally to the Company’s business dealings with Government (public sector) and commercial (private sector) entities and includes their directors, employees, agents, consultants, representatives, and other appointed representatives such as officials, politicians, and public bodies.
5.4 The Company shall also conduct due diligence on every Personnel (including prospective personnel), Business Associates, projects, and major activities including donations and sponsorship, in particular where there is significant exposure to bribery and corruption risk, in line with this ABAC Policy.
5.5 The Company encourages Personnel and Business Associates to report any suspected, attempted, or actual bribery and corruption cases, and prohibits retaliation against those making reports in good faith. The Company also provides assurance that no Personnel shall be penalised or suffer any adverse consequences in retaliation for refusing to pay or receive bribes or participate in other illicit behavior.
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6. PRINCIPLES ON ANTI-BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
6.1 CONFLICT OF INTEREST
6.1.1 Conflict of interest may arise in situations where Personnel engages in business or other activities outside the Company or have personal interests, whether it benefits themselves or their closely related person(s), i.e. relatives or close associates, which compete or conflict with the interests of the Company.
6.1.2 Employees must obtain written approval of their respective heads of companies before undertaking activities that may give rise to a conflict of interest.
6.1.3 All Personnel shall declare their conflict of interest, both on a scheduled basis, and ad hoc as soon as they arise.
6.2 GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY
6.2.1 Generally, Personnel may accept or offer gifts and hospitality ONLY where they are:
i. infrequent;
ii. reasonable and not excessive; and
iii. where there is no risk that they will improperly influence or be seen to improperly influence a decision.
6.2.2 In addition to the above, any acceptance or offering of gifts and hospitality the value shall not exceed RM 500.
6.2.3 GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY RECEIVED
a. Acceptance of gifts and hospitality is allowed provided that gifts and hospitality received shall be modest in value and proportionate to the position. Personnel should not accept any gift or hospitality if it could be misconstrued as a reward, an inducement, or other corrupt acts.
b. However, under no circumstances may a Personnel, his/ her closely related person(s), i.e. spouse(s), family members, relatives, or close associates accept gifts in the form of cash or cash equivalent. Cash or cash equivalents (including gift certificates, loans, commissions, coupons, discounts, or any other related forms) are STRICTLY PROHIBITED and must never be accepted, except if it is part of customary practice and this should be limited to a nominal value and reported to BOD.
c. Example of gifts and hospitality that is acceptable are as follows:
Gifts: corporate promotional, seasonal, or festive gifts.
Hospitality: Refreshments (tea/coffee) or working lunches, which do not exceed RM 500 per person per year.
6.2.4 GIFT AND HOSPITALITY GIVING
a. Personnel shall not offer or give a gift or hospitality if they are aware or suspect that it would be in breach of the rules of the organisation where the recipient works or if it is against the local laws.
b. The Company may give corporate gifts, i.e. bearing the Company’s or the Subsidiary’s logo/identity and of nominal value for the purposes of promotions/branding/marketing. Any gift-giving or event of hospitality is subject to approval and shall fulfill the following conditions:
They are limited, customary, and lawful under the circumstances;
They do not have or are perceived to have (by either the giver or the receiver), any effect on actions or decisions;
There shall be no expectation of any specific favor or improper advantages from the intended recipients;
The independent business judgment of the intended recipients shall not be affected;
There shall not be any corrupt/criminal intent involved; and
The giving out of the gift and hospitality shall be done in an open and transparent manner.
c. Personnel from the Company must be present (as the host) when providing hospitality. Otherwise, the expenditure is considered as a gift.
6.3 ENTERTAINMENT
6.3.1 Entertainment could be considered to be a bribe if it is given or received with the intention of influencing someone to act improperly, or as a reward for having acted improperly. Personnel is allowed to offer or accept entertainment and recreation, provided there is proper justification and subject to the authority limits.
6.3.2 Personnel are STRICTLY PROHIBITED from either paying for or participating in any activities which are exorbitant, illegal, and immoral such as lavish/ extravagant social functions not related to the Company’s business activities or entertainment from a business associate (including potential business associate) during the procurement process which may cause the Company to be perceived in an unfavorable or negative manner.
6.3.3 Entertainment activities shall be limited to only those individuals who have a legitimate business purpose. The Company will not pay for or reimburse expenses for the said individuals closely related person(s), i.e. spouse(s), family members, relatives, or close associates who do not have a legitimate business purpose with the Company.
6.4 DONATIONS AND SPONSORSHIPS
6.4.1 The Company allows charitable donations and sponsorships for legitimate reasons and as permitted by existing laws and regulations. However, the Company STRICTLY PROHIBITS the giving and receiving of donations and sponsorships to influence business decisions.
6.4.2 requests for charitable donations and sponsorships are subject to a due diligence check and to the local authority limits.
6.5 Generally, for political donation the Company DOES NOT make or offer monetary or in-kind political contributions to any political party, political party official, or candidate running for political office.
6.6 FACILITATION PAYMENTS
6.6.1 Facilitation Payments are classified as acts of bribery and corruption under the MACC Act and are illegal. As such, the Company prohibits the giving, offering, or promising of Facilitation Payments of all kinds by either Personnel or Business Associates acting on behalf of the Company. Personnel is also prohibited from receiving or requesting such payments whether in cash or in kind.
6.7 RECRUITMENT, PROMOTION, AND SUPPORT OF PERSONNEL
6.7.1 The Company’s recruitment, training, performance evaluation, remuneration, recognition, and promotion for personnel shall be designed and regularly updated to recognize integrity. The Company shall not offer employment to prospective personnel in return for their having improperly favored the Company in a previous role.
6.8 BUSINESS ASSOCIATES
6.8.1 The Company is committed to conducting our business in a fair, transparent, and ethical manner. The Company will only do business with entities or individuals who share the same values as the Company and will uphold the Company’s principle of applying high ethical standards in our business dealings.
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7. ANTI-BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION COMPLIANCE FUNCTION
7.1 The Company shall maintain an independent anti-bribery and corruption compliance function through the Integrity unit within the BOD to oversee the design, implementation, management, and improvement of the Company’s anti-bribery and corruption policies and procedures (integrity program).
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8. TRAINING AND AWARENESS
8.1 The Company shall conduct awareness programs for all Personnel on the Company’s position and practices regarding anti-bribery and corruption, integrity, and ethics.
8.2 Training shall be provided on a regular basis, in accordance with the level of bribery and corruption risk related to the position and function.
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9. RAISING CONCERNS (WHISTLEBLOWING)
9.1 The Company strongly encourages reporting (whistleblowing) of real or suspected cases of bribery and corruption without fear of retaliation or reprisal.
9.2 The Company has established an avenue for the reporting of bribery, corruption, and other forms of misconduct, including violations of this ABAC Policy through designated secure channels, available to all Personnel and external parties including Business Associates. Details of the whistleblowing procedure are available in the Company’s Whistleblowing Policy.
9.3 The Company is committed to the enforcement of this policy and provides assurance that whistleblowers will not suffer any form of retribution, victimization or detriment, so long as the reports are done in good faith (i.e. not done with malicious intent and without substantiation in order to damage another person or organization). Such protection is accorded even if the investigation later reveals that the whistleblower is mistaken regarding the facts, rules, and procedures involved.
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10. RECORD-KEEPING
10.1 The Company shall keep detailed and accurate financial and other records and shall have appropriate internal controls in place as evidence of all payments made.
10.2 The Company shall report and keep a written record of the amount and reason for gifts, hospitality and entertainment received and given, including donations, sponsorships, and expenses of similar nature, and understand that such expenses are subject to management review.
11. AUDIT REVIEW AND MONITORING
11.1 The BOD is responsible for monitoring the adequacy and operating effectiveness of this Policy and shall review its implementation on a regular basis, including assessing its suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness.
11.2 Internal control systems and procedures designed to prevent bribery and corrupt gratification are subject to regular audits to ensure that they are effective in practice.
11.3 The Company may amend this ABAC Policy at any time so as to improve its effectiveness at combatting bribery and corruption.
12. FAILURE TO COMPLY
12.1 The Company regards bribery and acts of corruption as serious matters and will impose penalties in the event of non-compliance with this policy. For Personnel, non-compliance may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
12.2 For Business Associates and other external parties, non-compliance may lead to penalties including termination of contracts. Further legal action may also be taken in the event that the Company’s interests have been impacted by non-compliance by individuals and organizations.
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13. POLICY OWNER
13.1 This ABAC Policy is owned by the BOD. Any feedback or enquiries regarding the provisions of this policy should be directed to the BOD.
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REVISION: 20210613
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