Twelve Years of Corruption Perception Index: A Tale of Malaysia and Indonesia

Abstract

Corruption remains a major challenge to governance, public trust, and institutional legitimacy in Southeast Asia. This study compares trends in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in Malaysia and Indonesia from 2012 to 2024 using annual data published by Transparency International. It examines how changes in CPI scores and rankings corresponded with major political transitions, institutional reforms, and anti-corruption developments in both countries. Through a qualitative approach, this study interprets CPI trends alongside key political and governance events identified through content analysis. The findings show that Malaysia recorded higher CPI scores than Indonesia throughout the period, although its performance remained unstable post 2020 amid political turnover and governance uncertainty. In Indonesia, CPI data observed pre-2020 were not sustained, with subsequent declines coinciding with reforms widely seen as weakening the autonomy of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). These patterns imply that improvements in corruption perception are difficult to sustain without institutional continuity, credible enforcement, and political commitment to reform. By comparing two neighboring democracies with different reform paths, this study contributes to the broader debate on corruption, governance, and political accountability and offers policy-relevant insights to strengthen anti-corruption institutions in both countries.