More than a month ago and before the start of the present meeting of Parliament, the Chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Corruption Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad called for a parliamentary debate on its report on the first year of operation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Radzi said allowing a parliamentary debate on the MACC would be a healthy development in improving the performance of MACC.
Under the MACC Act, the Special Committee on Corruption comprising MPs is to submit an annual report to the Prime Minister, who will then table it in Parliament.
The Special Committee on Corruption had completed its report. However, it is now at the end of the present meeting of Parliament which will end next week and there is no sign of the report of the Special Committee on Corruption being tabled in Parliament to enable a special parliamentary debate to be held in the current session.
This is most troubling and goes against all the talk of achieving the NKRA targets which includes eradication of corruption especially “grand corruption”, which means action against the “big fishes”. More than 18 months have elapsed since the launch of the MACC and public confidence in MACC and the campaign against corruption especially those in high places have suffered further setbacks.
Next week is the full anniversary of the mysterious death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock who plunged to death from the 14th floor of the MACC Headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16 last year and the public uproar and controversy over the cause of Teoh’s death remain the major factor why MACC has not been able to gain public confidence in its independence, integrity and professionalism.
The many other outstanding unresolved, untouched or wound-down cases affecting corruption have aggravated public confidence in the MACC – whether the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, the MACC flip-flop on taking statement from Private Investigator P. Balasubramaniam in London on the C4 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu or the alleged vast and unusual wealth of Sarawak Chief Minister.
As Chairman of the Special Committee on Corruption, Radzhi should ensure that his committee’s report is tabled in Parliament first thing on Monday and that a full parliamentary debate could be held before Parliament adjourns sine dine next Thursday.