Procrastinations over Johari/Zulkipli allegations – AG treating NIP as a joke


The National Integrity Plan has become a joke with the three-month dilly-dallying in clearing or charging Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharum over RM5.5 million corruption allegations when investigations had been completed in the past three months.

It was some 14 weeks ago that news reports of “Freedom for RM5m” (Star 3.3.07), “Pemimpin politik terima sogokan RM5j disiasat” (Utusan Malaysia 3.3.07) and “Probe on ‘VIP’ for Graft” (New Sunday Times 4.3.07) of the RM5.5 million “Freedom for Sale” allegations that Johari had released three men held under the Emergency Ordinance shocked Malaysians.

The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director-general, Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan, was reported by the New Straits Times of April 21, 2007 as saying that the ACA had completed its investigations into the RM5.5 million “Freedom for Sale” allegations “shortly after” the deputy minister was questioned by ACA officials on March 19 and that the investigation papers were in the hands of the prosecution division.

Yesterday, the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail said he was still looking into investigation papers on Johari and the former ACA director-general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor, adding: “I have nothing else to say. I have to look at certain things more this afternoon.” (Sun)

This is totally unsatisfactory, unacceptable and intolerable, raising the question whether the Attorney-General is fully committed to the National Integrity Plan and has placed the upholding of national integrity particularly among the top government leadership as top priority in the agenda of the AG’s Chambers.

Why has the Attorney-General sat on the investigation papers by the ACA on Johari for some three months, only now talking about having “to look at certain things more this afternoon”, if the AG’s Chambers is serious about the National Integrity Plan?

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, should step in and assert leadership to ensure that the National Integrity Plan which he launched three years ago is taken seriously by the Attorney-General and all top government officials.

Abdullah must be decisive and act on the RM5.5 million “Freedom for Sale” allegations — either clear Johari of the allegations or charge the Deputy Internal Security Minister for corruption. If more time is needed as investigations to date are unsatisfactory or incomplete, then direct Johari to go on leave until a definitive decision could be made, whether to clear or charge the deputy minister.

Abdullah should also explain why the Attorney-General is procrastinating over police investigations into the serious corruption allegations made against the then ACA director-general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor by former Sabah ACA director and whistleblower Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan in June last year, as the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had said in April that the police had completed the investigations after taking statements from 30 persons and that the investigations papers had been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

As Johari is also a Member of Parliament, I will raise the issue of the procrastination in taking action on the RM5.5 million “Freedom for Sale” allegations at the meeting of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Code of Ethics for Members of Parliament on Monday.

This will the first meeting of the Parliamentary Select Committee since it was established by a motion of Dewan Rakyat on 13th December 2006, tasked with formulating a Code of Ethics for Members of Parliament.

  1. #1 by k1980 on Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 12:27 pm

    Has Uncle Johari been playing badminton with Pak Gani Patail lately?

  2. #2 by PureMalaysian on Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 1:29 pm

    dont think AAB will be taking any action… he is on honeymoon.

  3. #3 by Educator on Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 1:45 pm

    “Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail said he was still looking into investigation papers on Johari and the former ACA director-general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor, adding: “I have nothing else to say. I have to look at certain things more this afternoon.” (Sun)”

    Hon. Mr. Lim, AG has to get green lights from his boss (who ever he is now); ditto for ACA director-general. It’s not easy to be in their places. They want to be promoted too!

  4. #4 by Cinapek on Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 2:04 pm

    AG is also looking into the IPCMC, the Altantuya murder investigation, etc. etc. Where got time to look into so many things lah. You people create all these problems for the AG and because all these are cases that requires a lot of acrobatics, not so easy to simply decide or a whole can of worms will be let out. Susah!!!

  5. #5 by Jimm on Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 4:50 pm

    The whole stage play went off tracked because of those actors are not aware of certain ‘fine lines’ arranged by 4th Floor boys.
    Well, they are back to their usual mode …. wait and see.. wait and see .. then .. create another sensation news to divert the public attention..
    Just like when AAB become PM and he claimed that he will take action to those 18 high profile cases. He will make sure that all found wrong will be ‘punished’.
    Now, …he ‘punished’ them to obey his command and give in their businesses to his people.
    There are many cases that ‘specially’ arrangement to benefit certain quarters rather than face the national judgement.
    Afterall, the monies does ‘talk’

  6. #6 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 6:15 pm

    “AG treating NIP as a joke”???

    Our AG is settling scores with the Japs??

  7. #7 by k1980 on Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 6:18 pm

    Local mainstream media compared to the International and alternative press
    http://sloone.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/altantuya-how-long-must-i-wait/#more-569

    Mr. Shariibuu… is also miffed with the local mainstream media, adding that he cannot imagine why they did not publish his statement in full, although he added later that he understood their predicament as he was himself a journalist and studied journalism in Mongolia. His came to the conclusion that he would rather speak to the International and alternative press after a recent experience with journalists at Karpal Singh’s office in Puduraya last week. “I called them aside and said please publish my statement in full, but it was not (published),” he lamented.

  8. #8 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 6:24 pm

    “Yesterday, the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail said he was still looking into investigation papers on Johari and the former ACA director-general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor, adding: “I have nothing else to say. I have to look at certain things more this afternoon.” (Sun)

    What else is there for you to look. If there is prima facie evidence of a crime being committed, your oath of office requires that you prosecute any party accused of the crime. There is nothing left to deliberate.

    Isn’t this a public admission that the AG practices selective prosecution. If that is so then the AG should step down.

  9. #9 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 13 June 2007 - 10:20 pm

    There will be no hope for Malaysia if this political satire keeps playing over and over again.

  10. #10 by pwcheng on Thursday, 14 June 2007 - 12:44 am

    They are just playing with time especially involving high profile personalities with prima facie evidence . Such tricks had been very successful for them and they are not going to give up just because you and me and brother Lim make noise. This is only a small drop of the blatant abuse of power and disregard of the law. The question is what can we do????

  11. #11 by shawnshawn on Thursday, 14 June 2007 - 2:46 am

    another case of..
    oppss my dog eat my paperwork?????

  12. #12 by Phat-kor on Thursday, 14 June 2007 - 11:00 am

    i used to be rather positive about the future of my children ,,,,but after all these many happenings, the scene is not promising at all.

    i used to regard those parents who send their kids abroad or those families who migrate as pessimists, but now,,,,I AM SICK AND TIRED OF ALL THESE

  13. #13 by Jong on Thursday, 14 June 2007 - 12:27 pm

    Attorney-General Gani Patail is obviously dragging his feet. Side-tracking and giving excuses of sorts only reveal his inability to perform and this is unacceptable to the People.

    Gani Patail must realise that his pay cheque comes from tax-payers money. He has a duty to perform well, to the best of his ability in the interest of the country failing which he should resign, or be replaced immediately.

  14. #14 by shortie kiasu on Thursday, 14 June 2007 - 4:20 pm

    Why is it that any things that go to the Malaysian Government and its Administration, its civil servants, will take years to decide, and very often there will never be any decision, and the report and the files, and the issues will just die a natural death. There are hundreds and thousands of such cases and incidences here in the Malaysian society.

    It is always the poor and ordinary citizens in Malaysia that near the brunt of horrendous inefficiency of Malaysian Government and its Administration, its civil servants. But to them, to hell they care.

    We can talk about salary increment for civil servants until the cow comes home, but the administartion and its servants will never change simplly because they all hold in their hand, and iron bowls, and they are 96% made up of Malays, with due respect, we all know what sorts of calibre these cultural people are capable of.

    Give them minimum 30%, if not 50%, in every business that are successful and profitable, that is what they are capable of.

    Read the press every day, we come across depressing news such as these, demanding for minimum % of free equity by these privileged homo sapiens in every spheres of business and life of other fellow citizens, just because of the special right enshrined in the constitution and the new ecomomic policy for the “prince of the soil”.

    All will be damned if such situation persists.

  15. #15 by i_love_malaysia on Thursday, 14 June 2007 - 5:34 pm

    I know why AG is taking so long to look into the report. It is because he has “not enought” people in AG office to help him. It is time for him to get 2 Deputy AGs, 5 Assistant AGs to help him and we will have at least 7 jobless graduates to fill the empty seats :) or may be he needs more than what I suggest?

  16. #16 by undergrad2 on Thursday, 14 June 2007 - 10:48 pm

    “Gani Patail must realise that his pay cheque comes from tax-payers money. ”

    Unfortunately that’s not how it is seen in Malaysia.

  17. #17 by ktteokt on Friday, 15 June 2007 - 7:12 am

    the day the rukunegara was made official should have been the day the “special rights” have ended. so what special rights are they talking about. isn’t it written in the rukunegara that “…membina sebuah masyarakat yang adil dan saksama dimana…” so what is the meaning of “adil”?

    giving special rights to any one group would have violated this principle of “adil” and don’t forget, the rukunegara is an official document of the nation. so why is the government not following the rules?

  18. #18 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 15 June 2007 - 9:28 am

    Waiting for this BN government to do anything for the sake of integrity is like asking for the moon, like wishing for the stars. Forget it!

    This BN government is a no-hoper. Just throw BN out at the next GE just like you would flush the toilet after a bad diarrhoea!

  19. #19 by Jimm on Friday, 15 June 2007 - 12:34 pm

    I believe in every action, there is a reaction.
    We have seen far too many incident and mishap whereby someone is accountable to what their parents or foreparents have done in the past.
    All those who are now playing in the high profile games will never understand the price to pay at the end of each game. Why ? Because they thought that they are controlling the outcome of the game result and they will live long enough to covered up.
    Yes, they are right for thinking like that.
    However, they have changed the course of the future as everyone are here for a purpose.
    I have seen many of the rich and famous are actually lonely souls on earth as they cannot have life. Yet, they are living it to the fullest everyday. They fullest are actually so empty.
    Look at all our authority heads, look at their values in life, their family life are so ‘artificial created’, their religion belief are just a routine, they have to put on acting chatracters each time everyday. They are living away from their own values because they rather to be rich and powerful than poor and weak. They rather be a dog than a man with a true and pure reason to live.
    They go for weekly prayers routine to tell themselves that life is good now.
    They tell their offsprings about their success stories and provide everything under the sky for them as monies are not an issue.
    All that they have done are creating ‘lonely souls’ from their offsprings. Everything is easy going and soon to be gone…
    So, fellow bloggers.. they are willing to pay the price using their children’s future.. they have chosen to be rich and in power for their own good. Leave them there and die within their own space.
    This country will continue to make new life and new hope for everyone that uphold the rights to live.
    Malaysia Boleh. Trust in Her Strives..

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