Children should know what is corruption

IPOH - Educating children about the perils of corruption should start from home.

Rumah Ngaji Perak Advisor Datuk Normah Hanum Ibrahim said parents are the best educators for children in shaping their personalities.

She said in the current situation, many parents educate their children about mutual respect, love and cleanliness, but forgot to advise them to refrain from any form of corruption.

“Corruption is a thing that needs to be avoided, it is not something that we see, it is something we don’t want to happen to our family.

“So, parents should always talk to their children about what is corruption, explain to them in a simple manner because it might be happening around them everyday without them noticing it.

Normah discussed the issue of corruption while being a guest on ‘Kafe Rasuah Busters On The Go’ programme in conjunction with the #RasuahBusters convoy to Perak.

"The normal conversation between siblings who want something and they expect something in return as a reward (for doing something) like money, could also be considered as a form of corruption," she said during the programme at Kandu Resort, near Gopeng on Tuesday.

Normah who is the patron of several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the state said words and behaviour involving elements of corruption was nothing new among children and unfortunately it was not being explained to them clearly causing it to become a habit.

The matter, she said, if not curbed would turn into a bigger problem which is happening at the moment and could be seen through the unhealthy work culture.

"Combating corruption starts from education and from there, people would become aware and avoid it.

"The best education of course starts from home with parents playing a role to educate their children," she said.