Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz was reported in the New Straits Times on Saturday as announcing that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will begin operations on Thursday on 1st January 2009 with Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan as its first chief commissioner.
The first question is whether Ahmad Said is the most suitable candidate to be the Chief Commissioner of the MACC.
Parliament and the nation have been promised that with the establishment of the MACC, purportedly modeled after Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the new anti-corruption body can no longer be accused of being the “lapdog of the government” as the ACA had been accused of being thus far.
The implication is very clear – that the ACA had corruption cases which it had not been able to prosecute because of various constraints and considerations all boiling down to “political interference”.
If so, how many such cases are there which the MACC could re-open and would Ahmad Said be the best person to re-open all such cases or would it have been better to have a completely new head for the MACC to spearhead the transformation of the MACC to become another IACC, beginning the journey to catapult Malaysia’s ranking in Transparency International Corruption Perception Index from the country’s lowest position of No. 47 to be among the world’s ten or twenty least corrupt nations like New Zealand (No. 1), Singapore (No. 4), Australia (No. 9), Hong Kong (No. 12 ) and Japan (No. 18)?
With the MACC starting operations on January 1, would Malaysians be able to see the stark difference between the new MACC and the old ACA in its first two weeks of operation?
#1 by voice on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 1:53 pm
Yes, he is the most suitable person for the job, for UMNO corruptionists.
Not for the people.
#2 by computation on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 1:54 pm
We know how “fantastic” these ACA people are.
We know how “determined” they are to investigate
corruption. All the government is trying to do
is create activity with no real acheivement.
The important thing to do is defeat the incompetent
corrupt government of today, set up another clean agency
and investigate all the past misdeeds. drag out
every single one of the past misdeeds and haul
the criminals to court.
#3 by pangwl88 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 2:04 pm
YES!!! OF COURSE HE IS THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB.
WHO ELSE WILL HAVE THE MOST HANDS ON EXPERIENCE OF CORRUPTION?
REMEMBER, YOUR BEST ENEMY COULD BE YOUR BEST ALLY!
* S I G H *
WHAT A LOAD OF SH*T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#4 by pangwl88 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 2:06 pm
MAYBE….
JUST MAYBE…. HE SCREWED UP SOMEWHERE BIG TIME AND UMNO WANTS HIM OUT OF THE PARTY….
NOW… ISN’T THIS A GOOD EXCUSE????
LET HIM SCREW UP INFRONT OF THE RAKYAT?
HEHEHEHEHE.. HOW APPROPRIATE….
#5 by k1980 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 2:07 pm
No, Ahmad Said is not the most suitable person for the job. The most suitable person for the job is the PM, because he can then report to himself.
#6 by chengho on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 2:33 pm
Corruption is the work of market forces willing buyer and willing seller
Reopen and investigate not only at the authority and government level but also at the business and commercial front a lot of thing happened not only between B to G but also B to B Rakyat must support MACC Ahmad Said cannot do it alone .
#7 by eloofk on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 3:37 pm
Who is Ahmad Said? Is he a member of UMNO? Will he declare his assets at home and abroad if he is nominated for the post as Chief Commissioner in the MACC?
#8 by Jeffrey on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 3:53 pm
“Would it have been better to have a completely new head for the MACC to spearhead the transformation of the MACC to become another IACC”? Would Malaysians be able to see the stark difference between the new MACC and the old ACA in its first two weeks of operation?” – YB Kit.
The answer is no. This is because according to the provisions of the MACC Act passed by BN majority, the present director-general of ACA Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan will by this position take over as the first chief commissioner of IACC. This is the requirement of the MACC Act.
This is called “system integration” between the ACA and the newly inaugurated IACC under the MACC Act.
The question whether the new IACC led by the ACA chief would grow teeth to bite the big sharks and not just fishing for ‘ikan bilis’ amongst syndicates inked to issuance of foreign workers’ permits, MyKad counterfeiting and smuggling of timber and diesel and the 82 money politics cases of which reports have been lodged, will have take a bit more time to evaluate – including Hamdan’s fitness for this new powerful post.
#9 by Jeffrey on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 3:56 pm
the new IACC ahould be t he new MACC.
#10 by mifadzil on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 4:22 pm
The root cause here is not the human only but the system itself. If the so called commission is not fully independence from executive and solely responsible to parliament, the human can manipulate the processes in the system to benefit certain groups or individual. However, if the system is strengthen, the government and parliament should focus to come out with human development plan that can create human with high competency, accountability and transparency (CAT). This is not achievable within short term. It will take a very long journey and term for us to establish this if the political will is still there to make it. Otherwise, dream and hope will remain as it is.
#11 by chengho on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 4:23 pm
Everything in Hong Kong controlled by Beijing let do the China way corruption is a mandatory sentence very much like PAS huddud law
appoint Hussam as the head of MACC.
#12 by taiking on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 4:55 pm
NO. NO. NO.
#13 by Loh on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 5:49 pm
We shall know soon enough whether MACC and ACA are the same when Ismail Said is appointed to the top position. The government considers MACC is required to reduce corruption; and MACC should demonstrate to the propective corrupted people that MACC has grown teeth. For that purpose, MACC should prosecute those who were involved in corruption, but could not be prosecuted under ACA.
We hear about the 18 sharks. The new MACC chief should begin with them to demonstrate that MACC is indeed different from ACA.
#14 by mata_kucing on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 6:26 pm
It’s the same rotten fish head so calling it by any other name is not going to change anything. Nothing short of a major overhaul is acceptable if it is going to make any impact at all.
#15 by Jeffrey on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 6:39 pm
Loh reminds “about the 18 sharks” and “MACC should prosecute those who were involved in corruption, but could not be prosecuted under ACA” – his posting Today at 17: 49.03 above.
The problem/puzzle that needs to be solved first is :
1. MACC has no independent powers to prosecute – section 58 MACC. That requires Public Prosecutor (AG)’s consent. MACC can say, don’t ask me why no prosecution, ask the Public Prosecutor.
2. Prosecutor says, don’t question me on why I don’t prosecute, article 145 of our Federal Constitution vests me full discretion in this area.
3. we turn back to MACC’s Commissioner and say if you don’t have powers to prosecute, at least you have wide powers to investigate, show to us you have done so, and submitted investigation reports to Public Prosecutor.
4. MACC’s Commissioner turns around and explains, I can’t do that because under the MACC Act, all investigations and their upshot are “confidential” and cannot be disclosed! “Besides you cannot fault me for not investigating even if that were true and leaked out because under section 78 of MACC, we enjoy total immunity for any omission to investigate, when it is in “good faith” ie if we feel it is a waste of public resources to do so.
So how, what’s the solution and answer to the above???
#16 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 6:43 pm
It is not going to last!
For starters, they’ll throw a few corrupt-to-the core, unperforming junior civil servants and an obscure politician or two under the bus. Then it will be back to business as usual.
#17 by sheriff singh on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 7:46 pm
They just changed dentures right?
Old set, new set, both also cannot bite or chew. Only cosmetic, to have a better “smile” or “sneer”.
What has that ICAC chap from Hongky Tonk have to say about this now?
#18 by Godfather on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 7:51 pm
Can anybody remember when was the last time we saw a successful prosecution of a high profile individual ? OK, can anybody remember when was the last time we saw a successful prosecution of an illegal DVD peddlar ?
If you guys can’t remember, then Bolehland should improve on the corruption index as there are no recent corruption cases to prosecute.
#19 by Godfather on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 7:54 pm
As Jeffrey has pointed out above, the thieves have “protected” themselves with even better legislation. It is not illegal for the ACA to sit back and dream of their retirement benefits.
#20 by lee wee tak_ on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:16 pm
how did this fella got chosen? did we see a list of candidates being highlighted and subjected to review?
if there was a list comprising of Ali, Chong, Mutu, Gurmit, de Souza, being reviewed by Badawi and Anwar, or Najib and Kit, bickered in Parliament & approved by Agung, then within 3 months 1 big fish indicted in court and waiting for verdict, then I will believe the candidate is a right one
come year end, stocks in share market goes for window dressing, did someone else caught the bug?
#21 by lee wee tak_ on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:19 pm
call me a racist but I am not surprise it has to be a Malay to head this right? Chinese, Indians, Dayaks, KadazanDusun, Negrito, Jakun, Portugese, Sikhs, Bidayuhs, Senois, Murut, marooned Martians, Orang Utans not good enough or not even considered?
#22 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:22 pm
“if there was a list comprising of Ali, Chong, Mutu, Gurmit…” lee wee tak
You may want Ah Chong, Ahmad or even Mutu – but Gurmit?? Maybe we should ask Jaswant. At least he wouldn’t ask for more.
#23 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:26 pm
leeWee Tak,
You can’t use orang utan because orang utan is under the protection of Wild Life Federation.
#24 by lee wee tak_ on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:27 pm
under
i don’t care if he is brown, yellow, black, polka dot, just one or 2, the point is, in Malaysia, in position of public interest and prominence, it is mono-racial dominance.
a good candidate, won’t ask for even one, unless he is asking for more than 1 to go to the slammer.
#25 by tok iskandar on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:28 pm
UMNO mainkan sentimen perkauman
NGOs, children rally to defend Malay rights
Posted:16:45 Dec-29-2008 Filed under: Islam, Penang
by Athi Veranggan, malaysiakini, Dec 29
Protesters in Penang today called on Malay rulers to revoke the citizenship of Malaysians who dispute Malay special rights and demanded safeguards to their special position as enshrined in the constitution.
The call by the Malaysian Coalition of Malay NGOs was made at a gathering in conjunction with Maal Hijrah celebrations in Georgetown.
Some 1,500 people – including 400 children – from a group of 20 Malay organisations joined the two-hour gathering which kicked off at 9am in Polo Ground, outside Sri Mutiara, the official residence of the Penang governor.
About 50 police personnel, both in uniform and plainclothes, kept a close watch on the gathering.
At the end of the rally, the coalition’s leaders led by its president, Md Radzi Daud, submitted a memorandum to Penang governor Abdul Rahman Abbas.
The memorandum was received by a senior official from Sri Mutiara, Sahul Hamid.
The document also called on Malaysians to defend Islam as the nation’s official religion, the granting of immunity to the Malay royalty and the upholding of the draconian Internal Security Act to protect national security. Jail them under ISA
At the press conference later, Md Radzi – who estimated the crowd at 4,000 – said that gathering was to warn the people not to dispute the country’s constitution by raising issues that “could disrupt communal harmony”.
He said the coalition felt it was timely and imperative to hold such a gathering to remind Malaysians about their responsibility to safeguard the constitution, the royalty, social contract, and the nation’s peace and harmony.
Of late, he pointed out that many Malaysians have stirred Malay sentiments over a slew of issues.
“By disputing the aspirations of the constitution, some are inciting racial tension and communal disharmony,” said Md Radzi, who is also Yayasan Aminul Ummah Malaysia president.
He wants those who whip up racial sentiments to be detained without trial under ISA.
Md Radzi also called on Malaysians to respect the laws and to recognise the rights of various communities in the country to live in peace and harmony.
“Anyone who challenged this should be detained under ISA and the person’s citizenship should be revoked,” he said.
Although the gathering supports the continued existence of ISA, Md Radzi nonetheless cautioned the government against abusing the tough security law and called on the authorities to use their wisdom when invoking the law.
“ISA shall be applied only when there is a real threat to the country’s security,” he said.
Silence not a sign of weakness
The four-point memorandum also warned that the patience exercised by the Malays thus far shall not be construed as a sign of weakness or fear.
“Malays have kept quiet so far to maintain peace and harmony, but don’t disturb the bees hive or you can be destroyed,” stated the memorandum.
Many teenagers at the gathering carried banners with slogans written in both Malay and Jawi such as ‘Kesabaran Melayu Ada Batas’ (Malays’ Patience Has Limits), ‘Jangan Hina Nabi Muhammad SAW’ (Don’t Insult Nabi Muhammad), ‘Jangan Pertikaikan ISA’ (Don’t Dispute ISA). ‘Kekebalan Raja Raja Dipertahankan’ (Defend the Royal Immunity), and ‘Jangan Pertikaikan Hak Orang Melayu’ (Don’t Dispute Malay Rights).
Other banners included ‘Melayu dan Mamak Bersatu’ (United Malays and Indian Muslims) and ‘Jangan Ulang 13 Mei’ (Don’t Repeat May 13).
Most of the participants were wearing red-coloured head-bands depicting the ‘Allahu Akbar’ slogan and pro-ISA black T-shirts.
Among those seen at the gathering were Umno Bukit Mertajam division leader Musa Sheikh Fadzir and Tanjung Umno deputy leader Raja Munir Shah Raja Mustapha.
The organisers had originally planned to march from the state mosque to Polo Ground, but this was rejected by the police.
Although some teenagers wanted to march after the gathering, they dispersed after they were warned against it by the police.
ULASAN:APA KOMEN MCA YANG DULU PERNAH MENDESAK AGAR TIDAK DIMAINKAN SENTIMEN PERKAUMAN.INI JELAS UNTUK MENAKUTKAN PENGUNDI BUKAN MELAYU DI KUALA TERENGGANU.DULU SAUDARA KANDUNG KEPADA MUSA SHEIKH FADZIR,ABDUL AZIZ PERNAH PANJAT BANGUNAN SUQIU.BELIAU BEKAS NAIB KETUA PEMUDA UMNO
#26 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:28 pm
So you do agree to Jaswant??
#27 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:30 pm
Tok Iskandar,
I think you’re in the wrong forum.
#28 by lee wee tak_ on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:30 pm
under,
why the hell not? Jaswant is a fine name
#29 by Godfather on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:30 pm
It’s all about who they can trust to be compliant to the den of thieves (sorry, undergrad2, I gotta say this) and not about the most capable candidate. It’s about who can bend over when asked. No questions.
#30 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:33 pm
Bend over? Limkaput says, “I can do that”.
#31 by tok iskandar on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:34 pm
400 orang kanak-kanak telah diperalatkan UMNO untuk kepentingan politik.Polis tak nak siasat ke?Jelas polis jadi alat UMNO.ketika JERIT mengadakan ekspedisi berkayuh untuk perubahan,pemimpin mereka ditahan dan JERIT dituduh peralatkan kanak-kanak.
perhimpunan haram yang dihalalkan polis ini bermula pukul 9 pagi dan berlangsung selama 2 jam.
Isu babi: NGO Melayu mahu serah memo pada Hadi
Jimadie Shah Othman | Dec 29, 08 7:09pm
Tiga NGO berteraskan Melayu akan menghantar memorandum kepada Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Haji Abdul Hadi Awang malam ini berhubung isu penternakan babi di Melaka.
Majlis Permuafakatan Ummah (Pewaris) akan mengepalai rombongan 800 penyokong yang turut terdiri daripada Gerakan Graduan Melayu Muda (GGMM) dan Persatuan Pengguna Islam (PPIM), untuk menyerahkan memorandum itu ketika presiden PAS itu menghadiri program anti-ISA di Stadium Bandar Baru Bangi malam ini.
Mereka juga berhasrat untuk menyerahkan memorandum yang sama kepada penasihat PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim malam ini. Bagaimanapun, ketua pembangkang kini berada di luar negara.
Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) dan parti-parti pembangkang malam ini mengadakan Majlis pelancaran kempen mansuhkan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) yang gagal disempurnakan bulan lalu.Berbeza dengan program bulan lalu, kali ini pihak penganjurnya telah mendapatkan permit polis.
Politik perkauman yang dimainkan UMNO ini adalah jauh lebih bahaya daripada isu hukum hudud kerana boleh menjejaskan kestabilan kaum.Penyokong DAP diminta berkempen untuk calon PAS bagi menumbangkan keegoan UMNO yang disokong oleh MCA
#32 by sheriff singh on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:36 pm
MACC? You mean MEOW.
Black or white cat, it just can’t catch any mice.
And this Said chap appointed by Nazri?
#33 by tok iskandar on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:36 pm
Not wrong forum but i prefer using our mother tongue language.its ok for all of u
#34 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:36 pm
No spamming please!
#35 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:46 pm
“The Attorney General shall have power, exercisable at this discretion….:” Article 145
The use of such discretion must be justiciable and is not unfettered. Prosecutorial abuse of that discretion is a crime.
#36 by cvl on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:47 pm
Jeffry presented a puzzle/problem case in his today 18.39 hrs posting, asking solution[s] thereof from readers.
I see the solution has already been initiated by YB LKS in this very same article, for the solution lies in making amendments to the MACC.
But firstly, more Jeffryies should come forward to put the MACC in laymen terms as did the Jeffry in abovementioned posting. He dramatised the MACC into easily understood Malaysian day to day coffee tables treaties.
But more importantly, in dramatising so, scenarios modelling are being shown, or the lack thereof within and without the MACC.
And we can see that the MACC just do not contain enough integrity, flailing even at Jeffry’s first go.
This shows that the MACC did not adequately consider its scenarios models, case studies, and impact matrix. It suggests that the powers that be did not care for integrity, and wanted the Malaysian public to share its second class thinking mess.
And thus YB LKS should present case models showing the weaknesses and ineptness of the MACC. The recommendations towards amendments can be then presented in an appropriate matrix. Publish these in the MSN, alternative media, take on to coffee tables and have the larger Malaysian public more knowledgable on the MACC treatsies. This is what the malaysian public deserve, and form one platform to the eventual holistic solution to this madness.
There’s some senses in all these madness.
#37 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:47 pm
ooops “at this” to read “at his”
#38 by Godfather on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:48 pm
Oi, Mat Salleh yang di gelar Undergrad2 tak erti baca BM lah.
#39 by juno on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:49 pm
MACC needs to be balanced with the same number of alphabets. Like ACCA– Anti Corrupted Corruption Agency . May be now Ahmed Said can perform exactly to His Masters Voice. http://sjsandteam.wordpress.com/ ACA is famous for lots of BolehLand titles and Oscars.. As a starter lets get a guy without titles!
#40 by vsp on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:50 pm
Corruption spreads fast because the top level of society is corrupt. When the head is sick, eventually all members of the body will be affected.
I would suggest one cure: PAS’s hudud can be good. But this hudud must be modified to apply only to the top level of society, i.e. politicians, heads of departments, top businessmen, top law enforcement officers, etc. It must be color-blind: no matter if you are a Muslim, a Christian, a Hindu, a Buddhist or an atheist, once you are involved in corruption your hands will be chopped off.
Hudud must not be applied to the lower rungs of society. Let the normal law deal with it. Put the fear into the head and you will save the body.
I think this will extinguish all the rhetorics and politics of Hudud. If PAS is smart champion Hudud only for the head (not Muslims only but all). Leave the body to the other types of medicine and see the result.
#41 by Godfather on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:51 pm
Did someone call Jeffrey the drama queen ?
Nah, the only way forward is to change the federal government. No amount of laws, no matter how appropriate or noble, would work with a corrupt executive. We are just pissing into the wind here. Just make sure you are no downwind.
#42 by Jeffrey on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:52 pm
Question is who prosecutes the Prosecutor for the crime of prosecutorial abuse.
#43 by Godfather on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:54 pm
vsp: I’ll have some of whatever you are taking. Can’t imagine a country full of one-armed politicians.
#44 by Godfather on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 8:56 pm
Who defines prosecutorial abuse ?
#45 by Godfather on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 9:02 pm
Prosecutorial inaction or incompetence is not prosecutorial abuse, is it ?
#46 by vsp on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 9:06 pm
Question is who prosecutes the Prosecutor for the crime of prosecutorial abuse.– Jeffrey
__________
Let the Agong control the prosecutor. So we have a useful job for the Agong to do instead of him being used as window-dressing for the ruling party.
[deleted]
#47 by tok iskandar on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 9:11 pm
Marilah membantu calon PAS di Pilihanraya kecil Kuala Terengganu.Tinggal 3 ibu negeri sahaja belum dikuasai Pakatan Rakyat.Kuala Terengganu,JB dan Alor Star.
Jika Kuala Terengganu berjaya dirampas Pakatan Rakyat tinggal dua sahaja ibu negeri yang dikuasai BN
#48 by tok iskandar on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 9:17 pm
Kaum Cina dituduh kaum pendatang oleh Ketua UMNO Bahagian Bukit Bendera yang hanya dihukum gantung 3 tahun.Sampai sekarang tak minta maaf.
Mukriz pula cadangkan sjk cina dan tamil dihapuskan.
wartawan perempuan cina yang melaporkan kenyataan ismail kena tahan ISA.
Teresa Kok difitnah Utusan menghina azan sehingga ditahan dibawah ISA
Hentikanlah kebiadapan UMNO dengan menolak calonnya pada PRK di Kuala Terengganu
#49 by tok iskandar on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 9:19 pm
MCA gagal membela nasib kaum Cina.Pakatan Rakyat adalah pilihan terbaik.Biarpun baru tapi membawa aspirasi rakyat ke arah perubahan
#50 by undergrad2 on Monday, 29 December 2008 - 9:20 pm
Godfather,
Apart from that, there is also selective, sham and vindictive prosecution. Take your pick.