PUTRAJAYA, July 15 (Bernama) — Malaysia has achieved another major international milestone with Auditor General Datuk Seri Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi being named the recipient of the 2026 Donald R. Cressey Award, the highest honour conferred by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the world’s largest anti-fraud professional organisation.
In a statement today, the National Audit Department (JAN) said the prestigious award, established in 1989, recognises outstanding contributions to anti-fraud efforts and governance, marking a first for Malaysia.
Wan Suraya is the first recipient from the ASEAN region and only the second from Asia to receive the accolade. She was presented with the award during the 37th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, recently.
“She is also the first Auditor General in the world to receive this award since its inception 37 years ago.
“This recognition not only elevates Malaysia’s standing on the international stage but also reflects global confidence in the country’s commitment to strengthening public sector governance, integrity, transparency and accountability through independent, credible and impactful auditing,” the statement said.
The department said the recognition reflects the success of a series of institutional reforms undertaken by the National Audit Department, including amendments to the Audit Act 1957 in 2024, the strengthening of data-driven auditing through the JAN Service Digitalisation (PPJ) initiative, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics, and enhancements to the Auditor General’s Dashboard (AGD) as a real-time audit follow-up monitoring tool.
“These reforms have transformed auditing from merely identifying weaknesses to ensuring corrective actions are implemented, strengthening governance, safeguarding public funds, and continuously enhancing accountability.
“The 2026 Donald R. Cressey Award demonstrates that the reforms spearheaded by Malaysia have become a benchmark and gained recognition within the international anti-fraud community,” the statement added.
In the same statement, ACFE president John Gill, J.D., CFE, said Wan Suraya embodies the high standards of excellence and integrity that are synonymous with the Cressey Award. he serves as a beacon of innovation and integrity across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, he added.
The ACFE is honoured to recognise her impact and highlight her innovative approaches to audit and fraud risk management that have improved transparency and trust across Malaysia and the region’s public sector, he added.
— BERNAMA