Woo Ying-ming, Commissioner of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and President of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), concluded a seven-day duty visit to Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, and Indonesia in early May, reinforcing Hong Kong’s anti-corruption partnerships across Southeast Asia.
The trip aimed to boost long-term collaboration in enforcement, officer training, and youth engagement between ICAC and anti-graft bodies in the region.
Mr. Woo met with senior officials including Datin Paduka Hajah Anifa Rafiza of Brunei’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Mr. Sam Tee of Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), and Mr. Setyo Budiyanto of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
“The meeting not only fortified the partnership between the two organisations, but also demonstrated and affirmed the outstanding achievements of IAACA’s efforts to foster international graft-fighting cooperation,” Mr. Woo said following his visit to Brunei.
In Singapore, ICAC and CPIB agreed to implement mutual officer attachments and shared best practices with the Singapore Police Force’s criminal investigation division. Woo emphasized the need for cross-border cooperation to counter increasingly complex corruption threats, particularly in financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.
In Indonesia, ICAC reinforced a previously signed memorandum of understanding with KPK and discussed further cooperation in law enforcement and preventive education. Indonesia currently chairs the ASEAN Parties Against Corruption initiative.
During the trip, ICAC also invited the three ASEAN nations to join upcoming regional initiatives, including a training program in Thailand this July and the “Coding4Integrity” youth hackathon in Hong Kong this September, co-hosted by ICAC, IAACA, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
The ICAC delegation also held meetings with China’s ambassadors to ASEAN and the three ASEAN countries to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional developments.
Mr. Woo called the trip a “productive engagement with tangible outcomes,” reaffirming ICAC’s commitment to deepening regional anti-corruption efforts amid evolving geopolitical challenges.
Business News Asia