Allianz Centre for Governance (ACG)

The Allianz Centre for Governance (ACG) is a research centre within the Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya. ACG focuses on the political and institutional processes and outcomes necessary to achieve the goals of national development. The Centre is mostly concerned with the degree to which these processes deliver on the promise of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. As such, ACG prioritises rigorous research and awareness-raising initiatives into how public institutions conduct public affairs, manage public resources and guarantee society’s right to health, adequate housing, sufficient food, quality education, fair justice and economic security.

The Centre conducts critical and rigorous research on existing relevant policies, producing policy-oriented reports and academic works on the following:

• Corruption.
• Misgovernance.
• Fraud.
• Kleptocracy.
• Legal and political abuse of power.
• Misappropriation.
• Mismanagement.

ACG’s approach to generating impactful research and awareness-raising is as follows:

• By interrogating and understanding the links between development ideologies and strategies, and destructive practices - such as corruption - and governance. 
• By designing and soliciting research projects to influence policy and public perception and practices.
• By publishing an evidence-based Annual Report on the state of governance in Malaysia.
• By publishing popular opinion pieces in the print, broadcast, and electronic media.
• By publishing intellectually rigorous academic articles, chapter compilations, and conference proceedings. 
• By emphasising the importance of good governance for the current and future generations of workers, employers and youth, through workshops, and short- and long-term course modules, at the vocational and postgraduate levels.

• To conduct and complete quality research, informed by theory and history, aimed at informing and educating.
• To conduct commissioned research and case studies on specific areas of (mis)governance, including corruption, fraud, inefficiency, maladministration, mismanagement and ineptitude. 
• To conduct comparative research – between states, and between vocations/industries.
• To prioritise research which looks at policy formulation, perceptions of existing policies and strategies, and how these are presented by the media to influence perception.
• To generate innovative methodologies of inquiry including surveys, interviews, textual analyses and where possible, ethnographic studies.
• To disseminate information and new knowledge though academic publications, annual reports and popular media articles
• To organise distinguish speaker sessions, fora and roundtable discussions that engage policy makers, industry, academia and civil society.

• To conduct academically rigorous and accredited postgraduate programmes (Masters and PhDs). 
• To design – in collaboration with the relevant ministries – a curriculum that explores in greater detail the elements of good governance and their implications for society. 

S. Munirah Alatas, Ph.D.
Deputy Director & Principal Research Fellow, FPE, UM.
Email:malatas.acgov@um.edu.my

Yasmin Abdul Rahim.
Centre Manager.
Email: acgov@um.edu.my

Focus.

 The Allianz Centre for Governance (ACG) provides funding for research projects which focus on areas of (mis)governance, including corruption, fraud, inefficiency, maladministration, mismanagement and ineptitude in the administration, allocation and utilisation of public funds. While the ACG’s focus is primarily national in scope, all research must have some relevance for good governance practices throughout Southeast Asia and beyond. 

Grants.

There are two kinds of grants that researchers can apply for at ACG.

Types of Research Projects.

ACG sanctions three types of research projects.

• ACG-designed-and-led Research.
• ACG-funded & Allianz Malaysia Berhad-proposed Research.
• ACG-funded Research, proposed by external researchers in response to ACG’s periodic “Call For Research Proposals”.

Ongoing Research@ACG.

• Governance of Higher Education: From the Perspective of Malaysian Public University Academics (2025, led by ACG Deputy Director, S. Munirah Alatas, Ph.D.).
• The Governance of Ramadan Bazaars & the Role of Local Authorities (2025, jointly conducted by IIUM & UM).
• Police Misconduct (2025, jointly conducted by UTAR & Han Chiang University College of Communication).  

Completed Research@ACG

1. ACG Annual Report on “Perceptions of Corruption”.
2. Occasional Papers Series.

1. Distinguished Speaker Series.
2. ACG Annual Conference.

• Allianz Centre for Governance Launch, 10 December 2024.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/12/10/um-allianz-team-up-to-launch-centre-on-governance. 

• Special Dialogue Session “Shaping Integrity: Future Voices Against Corruption” by Datuk C. Thavarajah, former Director of Anti-Corruption Agency Malaysia.

Featuring critical perspectives by Professor Zaharom Nain, Director of the Allianz Centre for Governance (ACG) and Dr. Nungsari Ahmad Radhi, Chairman of Khazanah Research Institute.   

In collaboration with Universiti Malaya and Allianz Malaysia Berhad, 8 April 2024.

https://www.facebook.com/AllianzMalaysia/posts/we-were-honoured-to-host-a-talk-session-themed-shaping-integrity-future-voices-a/1088190760008224/. 

. 

• “Beyond US dominance: Time for a fairer global system”. Aliran, 24 April 2025. https://aliran.com/thinking-allowed-online/beyond-us-dominance-time-for-a-fairer-global-system. 
• “ASEAN Connections: Thai, Khmer, Vietnamese Languages to be Taught in Schools”. 23 April 2025.

https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2025/04/23/asean-connections-thai-khmer-vietnamese-languages-to-be-taught-in-schools/. 

• “Academic slams varsities over misplaced priorities” Free Malaysia Today, 10 April 2025.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/04/10/academic-slams-varsities-over-misplaced-priorities. 

• “Tikus melahap sisa makanan orang fanatic terjerumus ke lembah kebencian”. Aliran, 29 March 2025.

https://aliran.com/newsletters/tikus-melahap-sisa-makanan-orang-fanatik-terjerumus-ke-lembah-kebencian.

• “Kerugian University Awam meningkat, pentadbiran university dipersoal”. Astro Awani, 4 March 2025.

https://www.astroawani.com/videos/video-terkini-x7sio1/kerugian-universiti-awam-meningkat-pentadbiran-universiti-dipersoal-x9figtk. 

• “Overhaul Processes Hindering Public Universities”. Bfm 89.9, 14 February 2025.

Allianz Centre for Governance (ACG)
H10 Building, Faculty of Business and Economics,
Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: +60 3 7967 3704
Email: acgov@um.edu.my