Can MACC recover from the disastrous setback of being exposed as among the most inept and incompetent anti-corruption agencies in the world?


There continues to be widespread disbelief and questions galore about the highly-publicized exoneration of Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman of corruption in connection with the seizure of S$16 million (RM40 million) cash and arrest of Sabah businessman Michael Chia at the Hong Kong International Airport on August 14, 2008 for money trafficking and laundering before boarding a flight bound for Kuala Lumpur.

It was earlier reported that Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) found that the money was earmarked for Musa and were part of more funds being deposited into a Swiss bank account containing US$30 million allegedly being held in trust for the Sabah Chief Minister by a lawyer.

If what the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said in his parliamentary reply is true, that investigation papers submitted to the Attorney-General by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) show that the RM40 million a Sabah businessman was caught with in trying to smuggle into Malaysia from Hong Kong were political contributions to the state Umno and not for Chief Minister Musa Aman and that “no element of corruption was proven”, two immediate questions arise:

1. Why did the MACC submit investigation papers to the Attorney-General for decision when “no element of corruption was proven”; and

2. Why has the MACC taken more than four years to discover that it has no case of corruption against Musa Aman?

Both these questions lead to a third question:

3. Can MACC recover from the disastrous setback of being exposed as among the most inept and incompetent anti-corruption agencies in the world – taking more than four years to discover that the RM40 million smuggled Hong Kong foreign laundered fund was not meant for Musa Aman but for Sabah UMNO?

It is most pathetic that MACC, which had just hosted the 6th International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) Conference and general meeting has allowed itself to be made an international fool as in other countries, the head of the anti-corruption agency would have resigned in protest at such indignity and public shame.

But these are not the only questions swirling among Malaysians the past three days over the bizarre tale of the foreign laundered money in Singapore currency amounting to RM40 million which had to be smuggled out of Hong Kong into Malaysia, and which Sabah UMNO has claimed ownership to exonerate Musa Aman, especially after the refusal by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to reveal the identity of the donor of the RM40 million smuggled laundered foreign funds!

But what needs no question is the fact that the greatest casualty of the caper of the RM40 million smuggled foreign laundered money at the Hong Kong International Airport four years ago is none other than Najib’s Government Transformation Programme to combat corruption and with it, the MACC.

  1. #1 by dagen wanna "ABU" on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 5:48 pm

    So some one must be lying. ICAC said it was black money meant for musa but nazri (and macc) said it was just contribution to political party and therefore clean money.

    Going by the fact that macc, umno and nazri in particular are reaaaallyyyy good and honest and upright people, the inevitable conclusion must be that icac is lying.

    ibrahim bin perkasa and hairy monkey and the rest, quick to to HK and protest. And remember to show them some butts.

  2. #2 by drngsc on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 7:23 pm

    It is corrupt to all right thinking Malaysian that the MACC is as corrupt as any of the other Malaysian Public institutions, thanks to UMNO. It may be more appropriate to call it the “Malaysian already corrupt commission”. You cannot count on it.
    That is why – ABU ( Anything but UMNO ).
    .
    We must change the tenant at Putrajaya. Only then can MACC be a real MACC. First to clean elections. Then to GE 13. Then to Putrajaya. Failure is not an option. Let us all come out on 3rd Nov 2012.

    Change we must. Change we can. Change we will.

  3. #3 by Winston on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 8:01 pm

    Drngsc, you’re right.
    Many institutions and formerly “upright” people have been subverted.
    Malaysians must single-mindedly ensure that PR will succeed in capturing Putrajaya.

    PR is a boon for the country.
    UMNO/BN is a bane.

  4. #4 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 8:07 pm

    EVERYTHING that Najib administration has done can be described as ‘Change to Stay the Same.- the more they change, they more they fundamentally stay the same.. Its NOT ‘transformation’, its simply Camouflaging – to hide, to disguise..Its not ETP, its ECP – Economic Camoflaging Plan..

  5. #5 by boh-liao on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 8:12 pm

    Ai say man, don’t insult MACC lah, it’s supposed 2 b d best of its kind in d world
    “My word is my honor” – dat’s what MACC wants 2 stand 4

    • #6 by cemerlang on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 1:58 pm

      The best ? Your best, you mean. ROTFLMAO !

  6. #7 by yhsiew on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 9:08 pm

    So long as the MACC is being controlled by Umno, it (MACC) cannot be a reputable organization.

  7. #8 by Sallang on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 11:46 pm

    “part of more funds being deposited into a Swiss bank account containing US$30 million allegedly being held in trust for the Sabah Chief Minister by a lawyer.”

    “laundered fund was not meant for Musa Aman but for Sabah UMNO?”

    So, Sabah UMNO is corrupt. The ministers are not.

  8. #9 by undertaker888 on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 8:41 am

    probably george soros should use this “right channel” as well to deliver funds to NGOs in this country. According to Jib boleh, it is nothing wrong as long as it is the “right channel”.

    If it is the right channel according to Jiboleh, why is ICAC arresting the guy in HK? Jiboleh should send the scorpene submarine to HK instead to pick up the cash. Hey, maybe that’s what the submarine is for – money laundering.

  9. #10 by sheriff singh on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 2:06 pm

    How does MACC and Nazri conclude the S$ 16 million is ‘political contribution’ unless they know who the donor is and that he/she/it confirms it is indeed a political contibution by it/her/him?

    So who is this person or entity? Why the secrecy?

    How do we know the funds were not from some drug lords, al qaeda, abu sayyaf, kim jong-un, CCP, George Soros or Ali Baba?

    Talk about good governance. Why are the people fighting for a just and fair world so quiet ? Or that fellow who said he stands for and is fighting for transparency, ethics, corruption and all that stuff? Are these people still sulking or they cannot make a stand on this issue?

    More importantly, how effective are the many, many Supervisory Committees that oversee the operations of MACC? Are these ‘prominent’ personalities doing their jobs or are they just earning ‘buta’ gajis and allowances and they just want their fancy titles with easy jobs?

    Lastly, what about that Michael Chia fellow in Hong Kong jail? Will he be freed now or will he face some minor charge of not filling the exchange control form? Or will he be made a scapegoat and remain in the Hong Kong jail? This man should talk if he’s been abandoned by UMNO.

  10. #11 by dagen wanna "ABU" on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 4:08 pm

    Statement by musa’s crony (i.e. that the money was black money) was given to the HK ICAC. He gave the statement at the time when he was under investigation. But nazri’s statement (that it was clean money) was given to parliament where he enjoys parliamentary immunity.

    Say, nazri if you are sure of what you told parliament then I suggest you go to HK and appear before the HK authority to correct the wrong statement given by musa’s crony. Otherwise, we would have a bad mark in ICAC’s record.

  11. #12 by Cinapek on Tuesday, 16 October 2012 - 11:33 am

    I have one other question. Why did ICAC in HK stopped Micahel Chia and discover the money on him? I, like many others, have flown in and out of HK countless times and never once been stopped or questioned. HK airport is one of the busiest in thw world with people of all nationalities passing through at all times so why was Michael Chia targeted so accurately? Obviously ICAC must have received a tip off about the money Michael Chia was carrying and if so, by whom?

    Hmmm, Aug 2008, isn’t this just one month before the Sept 16th date mentioned by Anwar of the defections of BN MPs from E. Malaysia to PR? Has this RM40m anything to do with BN fighting to keep them back? And when Michael Chia was detained, Plan B was to ship them to Taiwan on a “lawatan sambil belajar” trip with goodies thrown in?

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