This post from Bernama, Malaysia's National News Agency, highlights a common effort that is often insufficient.
Dr. Koh Tsu Koon said, "Action against one 'big fish' is probably better than action against 1,000 'small fish'." This fits nicely with the aphorism, "The fish rots from the head down." Do what you wish against petty crime and corruption, but if the ones calling the shots are corrupt themselves, no real reform will ever happen.
But, as many argue, both steps are necessary. Officials at all levels need to know that their actions have consequences. Paul Collier explains in his 2000 paper, "How to Reduce Corruption," corrupt societies need a "Big Push" effort. This requires a full force fight against the big fish and the minnows who have swum astray.
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