I am disappointed that the Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin had not made use of his visit to Gelang Patah constituency yesterday to address the “political earthquake” in Johor with a comprehensive statement on what anti-corruption initiatives the Johor State Government has taken following the MACC arrest of six persons, including the son and a special officer of a senior State Exco Member over multi-million ringgit corruption in land transactions in the state – and the arrest of a seventh person yesterday.
Last Friday, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) seized 21 luxury cars, five high performance bikes and RM500,000 in cash, as well as frozen 45 accounts with over RM15.5 million in them, in a case involving bribery and abuses linked to real-estate in Johor.
Six individuals, including Ahmad Fauzan Hatim Abd Latif, the eldest son of Johor Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Abd Latif Bandi and his special officer Muhammad Idzuan Jamalludin, were arrested. A seventh was arrested yesterday.
Of course, this is peanuts when compared to the Sabah Watergate corruption raids last October, where MACC seized more than RM114 million in cash and accounts, 19.3 kg of gold jewellery worth about RM3.64 million, some 97 designer ladies handbags worth RM500,000, nine luxury vehicles and some 127 land titles from the Director and Deputy Director of Sabah Water Department.
Malaysia is ridiculed worldwide as a “global kleptocracy” – and Johore seems to be competing with Sabah to be “kleptocratic states” in Malaysia.
This is why I call on the Johor Mentri Besar, Khaled Nordin to move a special motion at the forthcoming Johor State Assembly to declare corruption as the No. 1 enemy in the state, spell out the anti-corruption initiatives the Johor State Government is taking after the spate of corruption arrests in the state, and most important of all, to demonstrate Johor is not competing with Sabah to be kleptocratic states in Malaysia!
Khaled’s stance so far to the MACC arrests and seizures is to await the outcome of the MACC investigations, on the ground that it was premature to decide whether his administration would conduct internal investigations pending MACC investigations.
Khaled cannot be more wrong. Khaled should know that inaction is no option for a responsible Johore state government committed to integrity, good governance and the eradication of corruption.
Whether the MACC charges against the seven can succeed in securing conviction in court is separate from the issue as to what the State Government is doing to tighten up rules and procedures to ensure that such corrupt malpractices cannot take place.
Khalid should bear in mind that Johor had produced two of the country’s foremost stalwarts against corruption in the nation’s history – the first and third UMNO President, Datuk Onn Jaafar and his son, Tun Hussein Onn!
It is a sad day for Johor if the state, which had produced two of nation’s greatest stalwarts against corruption, end up as a kleptocratic state like Sabah.
(Media Conference Statement in Gelang Patah on Wednesday, 1st March 2017 at 10 am)