On Sunday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed success in its first annual report of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) particularly in the six pillars or National Key Result Areas (NKRAs).

All these NKRAs whether in fighting corruption or reducing crime can be challenged but one NKRA which the Najib administration has indisputably achieved is the plunge of Malaysian politics to the lowest and dirtiest gutter level in the nation’s history.

The lowest and dirtiest gutter politics was reached in the shameful and despicable Carcosa Sri Negara sex videotape screening scandal which has been condemned by all right-thinking Malaysians.

The Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has described it as the “mother of all moral scandals” perpetrated by titled personalities and so-called leaders.

The MCCBCHST statement said:

“Their aim in publicly humiliating the Opposition Leader of Parliament offends the sensitivities of decent people, no matter to what race or religion they belong.”

It said:

“Since the involvement of the trio has surfaced, the Malaysian public is once again feted with disgusting material that begs the question, ‘where is all this leading to?’ in spite of the many seasonal national slogans that challenge us to greater heights of achievement and harmony.”

MCCBCHST declared that the Carcosa scandal does not inspire the younger generation to trust in the political process or to observe cultural, religious, social and moral norms.

The council called on the government to take swift and firm action against all those behind the scandal.

It said;

“We further urge the government to distance itself from all forms of deceit and cunning and bring the perpetrators of this latest mischief to face the full extent of the law.

“Furthermore, the government should employ every means to quell the rising anger, disquiet and dismay over this uncalled-for sordid and despicable attempt, by an unscrupulous few, to achieve their own personal disgusting agenda.”

I fully agree with Dr. Paul Tan Che Ing, the Catholic Bishop of the Melaka-Johore diocese and who is also the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference, who has issued a very stern warning about the far-reaching implications of the Sri Carcosa scandal.

He said;

“If the authorities do not take action against those responsible when laws are flagrantly flouted, then we are engendering a situation where fair is foul and foul is fair.

“This is a dangerous pass, one in which people, especially the young, will think that there is one set of rules for a privileged few and another set of rules for the rest.”

I am therefore utterly shocked that the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, has come to the defence of the criminals when he said that the “Datuk T” trio responsible for the shameful and despicable Carcosa scandal can be protected under the Witness Protection Act and Whistleblower Act.

Even before the police have taken action against the “Datuk T” trio under various laws of the country, the Barisan Nasional government has come to their defence and even granting them immunity and impunity for their crimes!

Under these circumstances, who can have confidence that current investigations into the Carcosa Sri Negara scandal will be fair, professional and in the full national interests.

Even top police officials do not have such confidence.

Yesterday, Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim wrote an open letter to the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar expressing his total lack of confidence that justice will be done in the Carcosa Sri Negara sex videotape screening scandal.

Mat Zain was the investigating officer in the notorious Anwar Ibrahim “black-eye” scandal but who was not allowed to complete his investigations because of interference from disclosing that it was the then Inspector-General of Police who was responsible for the assault until a Royal Commission of Inquiry was instituted several months later.

In his Open Letter to the IGP yesterday on the Carcosa sex videotape scandal, Mat Zain wrote:

“Saya yakin sepenuhnya bahawa PDRM mampu menjalankan tanggung jawabnya menjalankan siasatan tersebut secara professional dan berkecuali dan tidak terpengaruh dengan tekanan mana-mana pihak sekalipun, lebih-lebih lagi dibawah pimpinan Tan Sri ketika ini.

“Namun begitu kertas siasatan ini kelak akan diteliti dan diputuskan olih Gani Patail,Peguam Negara.Diperingkat inilah dijangka akan berlaku,putar belit,manipulasi,penipuan dan pemalsuan apabila sedar akan caramana Gani Patail dan Musa Hassan menangani penyiasatan kes-kes jenayah apabila melibatkan Anwar Ibrahim(Anwar) dan Rahim Thambi Chik (Rahim) dimasa lampau.’

As the Director of Criminal Investigations Division, Kuala Lumpur at the time, Mat Zain had been entrusted with investigations into four police reports lodged by Anwar Ibrahim from Sungei Buloh Prisons, one of which involved corruption of Rahim Thamby Cik as Malacca Chief Minister.

Mat Zain wrote:

“7. Mengenai kes rasuah terhadap Rahim pula,BPR dan Jabatan Peguam Negara mengesahkan dalam laporan mereka bahawa terdapat keterangan yang mencukupi untuk membuktikan kes “prima facie” terhadap beliau.Malahan Jabatan Peguam Negara telah menyediakan empat (4)pertuduhan kesemuanya. Iaitu;3(tiga) pertuduhan dibawah Emergency(Essential Powers)Ordinance No:22 of 1970 dan satu pertuduhan kerana membuat Statutory Declaration (SD) palsu dibawah Sek.199 yang boleh dihukum dibawah Seksyen 193 Kanun Keseksaan.

“7.1. Bagaimanapun Rahim tidak dituduh langsung,setelah Peguam Negara “indemnify” segala kesalahan jenayahnya setelah Rahim dipercayai bersetuju untuk melepaskan jawatan dalam Kerajaan,Badan-Badan Berkanun dan Parti Politik.Ini adalah apa yang terdapat didalam laporan yang disediakan oleh Jabatan Peguam Negara sendiri.

“7.2. Tidak ada sebutan mengenai cara pelupusan harta berjumlah hampir RM40 juta yang Rahim perolehi secara rasuah itu..Tiada maklumat mengenai persetujuan yang dicapai oleh Rahim dan Peguam Negara berkaitan harta yang diperolehi sedemikian itu dalam bentuk:RM 5,439,796.40 sen dalam kawalan peribadi Rahim sendiri,RM14,487,420.50 sen simpanan tunai dalam beberapa buah bank dan RM19,855,555.70 sen harta Syarikat-Syarikat.

“7.3. Persoalan yang tidak kurang pentingnya ialah adakah Peguam Negara mempunyai kuasa untuk “indemnify” kesalahan jenayah mana-mana orang berdasarkan pertimbangan Politik?. Adakah Peguam Negara berhak melepaskan wang Rakyat RM 40 juta sebegitu mudah untuk Rahim menikmatinya tanpa sebarang tindakan.Adakah ini sesuatu yang adil kepada Rakyat sedangkan Peguam Negara yang telah mengesahkan bahawa Rahim memperolehi harta sedemikian banyak menerusi salahguna kuasa dan rasuah.Apa yang jelas dalam kes Rahim ini, Peguam Negara juga telah menyalahgunakan kuasanya.”

I hope that the many pertinent questions raised by Mat Zain in his Open Letter, particularly with regard to the Attorney-General as well as Rahim Thamby Cik, could be answered in Parliament.

[Speech by on the 2010 Second Supplementary Estimates on Tuesday, 29th March 2011]