It would appear that Malaysia’s international infamy this year has not ended, although we are left with three days before we enter the New Year of 2022.
What other infamies are in store for Malaysia for the next three days?
Yesterday, a convicted criminal opened an international conference in Kuala Lumpur while today we have the shock resignation of the Edmund Terence Gomez from a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Panel, highlighting that something is very rotten with the anti-corruption efforts in Malaysia.
Gomez resigned in protest against the MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel’s inaction against MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki’s alleged ownership of close to two million shares in a public listed company
Gomez said he had first brought the matter to the attention of the panel’s chairperson Borhan Dolah on Nov 12 and had urged him to convene a meeting to discuss the “critical issue of national interest”
Though Borhan had initially responded immediately and agreed to convene the panel, the meeting never materialised.
Gomez said he wrote two more times to Borhan about this matter and had attached more information he received about the business links of Azam’s family.
He had also noted to Borhan that the website that had first published the allegations against Azam on Oct.26 had been hacked after the articles were uploaded.
However, he did not receive any responses to either of the letters.
Gomez said the inaction of the MACC Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel constitutes “a serious dereliction of duty to the nation” and was “unconscionable” and “extremely irresponsible.
Previously, Sungai Buloh MP R Sivarasa had filed an urgent motion seeking the Dewan Rakyat to discuss Azam’s alleged ownership of close to two million shares in a public listed company.
Sivarasa had alleged that between 2015 and 2016, when Azam was the MACC’s investigation director, he had become the owner of 930,000 shares in Gets Global Bhd as at April 30, 2015 and a further 1,029,000 shares as at March 31, 2016.
Sivarasa also claimed that, as of March 21, 2016, Azam also owned 2,156,000 warrants in public listed Excel Force MSC Bhd, while his younger brother owned 3,728,000 shares in Gets Global.
Public servants are barred from owning more than RM100,000 value of shares in any company.
They are also required to declare all their assets to their heads of departments under the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993.
In his resignation letter, Gomez had also said it was “equally disturbing” that there were reports claiming a former MACC chief commissioner was also involved in a conflict-of-interest situation.
This suggested a trend in the MACC institution that must be investigated promptly, he said.
The Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri must act on Gomez’ shock resignation from MACC panel and end the two-month “conspiracy of silence” about allegations of MACC Chief’s ownership of close to two million shares in a public listed
This is urgent and imperative especially as Malaysians are waiting in dread for the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2021 next month where Malaysia is expected to ranked and scored poorly, reflecting a worsening of the anti-corruption effort in Malaysia in the past year.
Ismail Sabri’s “Keluarga Malaysia” concept cannot based on a Malaysia which is regarded nationally and internationally as increasingly corrupt, which is also against the Rukun Negara nation-building principle of “courtesy and morality”.
There should be a Parliamentary Select Committee on Corruption and Abuses/Wastage of Public Funds which should conduct an investigation into the allegations surrounding the MACC Chief, Azam Baki, the Global Financial Integrity Reports which revealed that Malaysia lost a whopping RM1.8 trillion between 2005 and 2014 as well as the poor rank and score of Malaysia in the TI CPI reports.
The time has come for Malaysians to demand greater transparency and accountability on the subject, especially with the superfluous appointment of advisers for the Prime Minister when he had Cabinet Ministers looking after the portfolio, the appointment of superfluous envoys for regions when there are ambassadors appointed to each country, and the appointment of “dud” GLC appointments.
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Pute4ri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, 28th December 2021)
Ismail Sabri perlu bertindak atas peletakan jawatan mengejut Gomez daripada panel SPRM dan menamatkan “konspirasi sunyi” selama dua bulan mengenai dakwaan Ketua SPRM memiliki hampir dua juta saham dalam syarikat tersenarai awam
Nampaknya status buruk Malaysia di arena antarabangsa tahun ini belum berakhir, walaupun kita hanya tinggal tiga hari sebelum memasuki Tahun Baharu 2022.
Apakah keburukan lain yang menanti Malaysia untuk tiga hari akan datang?
Semalam, seorang penjenayah yang disabitkan bersalah merasmikan persidangan antarabangsa di Kuala Lumpur manakala hari ini kita dikejutkan dengan peletakkan jawatan Edmund Terence Gomez daripada Panel Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), sekaligus memberi tanda bahawa ada sesuatu yang sangat buruk sedang berlaku dalam usaha pencegahan rasuah di Malaysia.
Gomez meletak jawatan sebagai tanda protes terhadap tindakan Panel Perundingan dan Pencegahan Rasuah SPRM atas dakwaan pemilikan hampir dua juta saham oleh Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Azam Baki dalam sebuah syarikat tersenarai awam.
Gomez berkata beliau telah terlebih dahulu membawa perkara itu kepada perhatian pengerusi panel, Borhan Dolah pada 12 Nov dan menggesa beliau untuk mengadakan mesyuarat bagi membincangkan “isu kritikal berkepentingan negara”
Walaupun Borhan pada mulanya memberi maklum balas serta-merta dan bersetuju untuk memanggil panel, mesyuarat itu tidak pernah menjadi kenyataan.
Gomez berkata dia menulis dua kali lagi kepada Borhan mengenai perkara ini dan telah melampirkan lebih banyak maklumat yang diterimanya mengenai pautan perniagaan keluarga Azam.
Beliau juga memaklumkan kepada Borhan bahawa laman web yang pertama kali menyiarkan dakwaan terhadap Azam pada 26 Okt. telah digodam selepas artikel itu dimuat naik.
Bagaimanapun, dia tidak menerima sebarang jawapan kepada mana-mana surat tersebut.
Gomez berkata ketiadaan tindakan Panel Perundingan dan Pencegahan Rasuah SPRM merupakan “penyelewengan tugas yang serius kepada negara” dan “tidak bertimbang rasa” dan “sangat tidak bertanggungjawab.
Sebelum ini, Ahli Parlimen Sungai Buloh R Sivarasa telah memfailkan usul tergempar meminta Dewan Rakyat membincangkan dakwaan pemilikan hampir dua juta saham Azam dalam sebuah syarikat senaraian awam.
Sivarasa telah mendakwa bahawa antara 2015 dan 2016, semasa Azam menjadi pengarah siasatan SPRM, beliau telah menjadi pemilik 930,000 saham dalam Gets Global Bhd pada 30 April 2015 dan 1,029,000 saham lagi pada 31 Mac 2016.
Sivarasa juga mendakwa, sehingga 21 Mac 2016, Azam juga memiliki 2,156,000 saham dalam senarai awam Excel Force MSC Bhd, manakala adiknya memiliki 3,728,000 saham dalam Gets Global.
Penjawat awam dilarang memiliki lebih RM100,000 nilai saham dalam mana-mana syarikat.
Mereka juga dikehendaki mengisytiharkan semua harta mereka kepada ketua jabatan mereka di bawah Peraturan-Peraturan Pegawai Awam (Kelakuan dan Tatatertib) 1993.
Dalam surat peletakan jawatannya, Gomez juga berkata ia “sama-sama mengganggu” bahawa terdapat laporan yang mendakwa bekas ketua pesuruhjaya SPRM turut terlibat dalam situasi konflik kepentingan.
Ini mencadangkan satu trend dalam institusi SPRM yang mesti disiasat segera, katanya.
Perdana Menteri, Ismail Sabri mesti bertindak atas peletakan jawatan mengejut Gomez daripada panel SPRM dan menamatkan “konspirasi senyap” selama dua bulan mengenai dakwaan Ketua SPRM memiliki hampir dua juta saham dalam syarikat senarai awam
Ini adalah mendesak dan penting terutamanya kerana rakyat Malaysia sedang menunggu dalam resah untuk Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) Transparency International (TI) 2021 yang akan dikeluarkan pada bulan depan di mana Malaysia dijangka berada di kedudukan dan mendapat markah yang teruk, mencerminkan usaha anti-rasuah yang semakin teruk di Malaysia dalam tahun lepas.
Konsep “Keluarga Malaysia” Ismail Sabri tidak boleh berdasarkan Malaysia yang dianggap di peringkat nasional dan antarabangsa sebagai semakin korup, yang juga bertentangan dengan prinsip pembinaan negara Rukun Negara iaitu “kesopanan dan kesusilaan”.
Perlu ada Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Parlimen mengenai Rasuah dan Penyalahgunaan/Pembaziran Dana Awam yang harus menjalankan siasatan terhadap dakwaan yang menyelubungi Ketua SPRM, Azam Baki, Laporan Integriti Kewangan Global yang mendedahkan bahawa Malaysia kerugian besar sebanyak RM1.8 trilion antara 2005 dan 2014 serta kedudukan dan markah yang lemah Malaysia dalam laporan TI CPI.
Sudah tiba masanya untuk rakyat Malaysia menuntut ketelusan dan akauntabiliti yang lebih tinggi mengenai perkara itu, terutamanya dengan pelantikan penasihat yang berlebihan untuk Perdana Menteri apabila beliau mempunyai Menteri Kabinet yang menjaga bidang tugas masing-masing, pelantikan duta yang tidak diperlukan apabila terdapat duta yang dilantik untuk setiap negara, dan pelantikan pelantikan GLC.
(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Gelang Patah pada hari Selasa, 28 Disember 2021)