The RM4.2 billion arms deal worth RM4.2 billion entered into by the Defence Ministry at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima 2013), on top of the earlier argument that Parliament could not yet be dissolved as a caretaker government cannot enter into mega-ringgit defence deals at LIMA, has brought to the centrestage the important questions of good governance and public integrity and the issue of corruption in Malaysia – especially what is the proper and ethical conduct of a government which is reaching close to or gone past its “expiry” period.
There can be no contention that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is already the country’s longest unelected Prime Minister without a mandate of his own after taking over the reins of premiership from Tun Abdullah Badawi is already an “expired” Prime Minister leading an “expired” Cabinet and Government in the past three weeks since March 8, when it lost all public credibility, authority and legitimacy as the government of Malaysia.
Why can’t the RM4.2 billion arms deal in LIMA wait until after the 13GE for whichever government, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, to make the final decision?
If Pakatan Rakyat wins in the 13GE and forms the new Federal Government, it would want to use its first mega billion-ringgit arms deal to send out a clear and unequivocal message that it would be a model of accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance, in line with a policy of “zero tolerance” for corruption where not a single ringgit or sen would be squandered for corrupt or crony purposes.
As fighting corruption is allegedly onn top on the agenda of Najib’s Government Transformation Programe (GTP) and his various NKRAs (National Key Result Areas), is the Cabinet on Wednesday prepared to take a decision to make the RM4.2 billion arms deal in LIMA the first test case of a “Zero Tolerance for Corruption” policy, subjecting the RM4.2 billion arms deal to the most stringent examination and scrutiny by a bi-partisan group comprising representatives from Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat and NGOs?
I want to reiterate that otherwise, the RM4.2 billion deal would be subject to review if Pakatan Rakyat forms the next Federal Government after the 13GE, and cancellation if they are found to be unfair or involved abuses of power or corrupt practices.
In this connection, I call on Najib to make public all the mega defence and other contracts entered into by the Federal Government in the past three weeks since March 8 when his premiership has “expired” its credibility, authority and legitimacy.
This will be a further test of Najib’s commitment to the war against corruption to uphold the principles of accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance.