Prime Minister Ismail Sabri’s clarification yesterday that there is no imminent Cabinet reshuffle is most welcome, but it highlights his failure or inability to comment on the conflict-of-interest allegation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commissioner Chief Commissioner Azam Baki for more than two months.
The issue of Azam Baki has been swirling in the public limelight for more than a week since the resignation of Edmund Terence Gomes from MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel and many personalities have called on Ismail Sabri to break his silence as the allegation of Azam Baki’s conflict-of-interest which was made more than two months ago.
It is impossible that Ismail Sabri is unaware of these calls.
A Prime Minister who is committed to a government which prioritises accountability, transparency and integrity would not have allowed such an allegation concerning conflict-of interest of the No. 1 officer in anti-corruption commission to go unrebutted for a single day.
Why is Ismail Sabri keeping his silence on the issue for more than two months, when the MACC comes directly under his control?
Is Ismail Sabri giving up on the anti-corruption efforts of his government?
It is reported that the MACC Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairperson, Abu Zahar Ujang, the MACC Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel Borhan Dolah and MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki are to hold a “tell-all” press conference later today.
The first question that the MACC trio must address is why they had not held the “tell all” press conference more than two months ago when the conflict-of-interest allegation against Azam first surfaced on Oct. 26, 2021.
I welcome Ismail Sabri’s clarification yesterday that there will be no imminent Cabinet reshuffle, but the MACC still have to answer a question that I posed yesterday: Would the MACC approve the appointment of a convicted corruption criminal as a Cabinet Minister?
I expect an answer from the MACC at its “tell-all” press conference today.
Malaysians and the world are worried that Malaysia will slide back to become again a kleptocracy.
Let the “tell-all” MACC press conference tell Malaysians what the MACC is doing to prevent Malaysia sliding back as a kleptocracy and what the MACC expect of the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index 2021 with regard to Malaysia, as the TI CPI 2021 is expected to be released later this month.
Yesterday, a senior MACC enforcement officer was charged in court for the misappropriation of RM25 million of cash evidence linked to a major corruption case.
It is the for the courts to decide whether the senior MACC officer was guilty.
But if the MACC is having problems inculcating the value of integrity among MACC officers, how does the MACC expect to be successful in inculcating the value of Integrity among the Malaysian population?
Shouldn’t the subject of integrity and anti-corruption be taught in schools from the primary level onwards?
Electoral watchdog Bersih has criticised Putrajaya for appointing Alor Gajah MP Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof as the chairperson of Boustead Holdings Bhd, on the ground that the appointment was unethical as it was an attempt to solicit support.
Bersih said the appointment presented the possibility of systemic abuse which will only come at the expense of the country’s development and the economic performance of government agencies, especially large-scale financial abuses like the 1MDB scandal.
The MACC “tell-all” press conference is the proper forum for the MACC to explain these and other developments concerning corruption in Malaysia.
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Wednesday, 5th January 2022)
Penjelasan Ismail Sabri mengenai tiada rancangan rombakan Kabinet dialu-alukan tetapi mengapa beliau masih berdiam diri mengenai pertuduhan konflik kepentingan Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM?
Penjelasan Perdana Menteri, Ismail Sabri, mengenai tiada rancangan rombakan Kabinet dialu-alukan tetapi perkara ini menonjolkan kegagalan beliau yang sehingga kini masih berdiam diri mengenai pertuduhan konflik kepentingan Ketua Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia, Azam Baki, yang telah timbul sejak lebih dari dua bulan yang lepas.
Isu Azam Baki telah menjadi tumpuan orang ramai sejak lebih seminggu selepas peletakan jawatan Edmund Terence Gomes daripada Panel Perundingan dan Pencegahan Rasuah SPRM dan ramai personaliti telah meminta Ismail Sabri untuk membuka mulut mengenai pertuduhan ini.
Mustahil Ismail Sabri tidak menyedari seruan ini.
Seorang Perdana Menteri yang komited kepada kerajaan yang mengutamakan akauntabiliti, ketelusan dan integriti tidak akan membiarkan dakwaan berkenaan konflik kepentingan pegawai utama dalam suruhanjaya antirasuah seperti ini untuk terus berlegaran walaupun untuk satu hari.
Mengapa Ismail Sabri berdiam diri dalam isu itu selama lebih dua bulan, sedangkan SPRM berada di bawah kawalannya?
Adakah Ismail Sabri berputus asa dengan usaha membanteras rasuah kerajaannya?
Dilaporkan bahawa Pengerusi Lembaga Penasihat Pencegahan Rasuah SPRM, Abu Zahar Ujang, Pengerusi Panel Perundingan dan Pencegahan Rasuah SPRM Borhan Dolah dan Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Azam Baki akan mengadakan sidang media yang akan “dedah segalanya” lewat hari ini.
Persoalan pertama yang mesti dijawab oleh trio SPRM ini adalah mengapa mereka tidak mengadakan sidang media “dedah segalanya” dua bulan lepas semasa dakwaan konflik kepentingan terhadap Azam mula-mula timbul pada 26 Okt. 2021.
Saya mengalu-alukan penjelasan Ismail Sabri semalam bahawa tidak akan ada rombakan Kabinet akan berlaku, tetapi SPRM masih perlu menjawab soalan yang saya kemukakan semalam: Adakah SPRM akan meluluskan pelantikan penjenayah rasuah yang disabitkan kesalahan sebagai Menteri Kabinet?
Saya mengharapkan jawapan daripada SPRM pada sidang media hari ini.
Rakyat Malaysia dan dunia bimbang Malaysia akan kembali menjadi kleptokrasi.
Biarkan sidang media SPRM ini memberitahu rakyat Malaysia apa yang SPRM lakukan untuk menghalang Malaysia mundur menjadi kleptokrasi dan apa yang SPRM jangkakan daripada Indeks Persepsi Rasuah Ketelusan Antarabangsa 2021 berkenaan dengan Malaysia, sebagaimana TI CPI 2021 dijangka akan dikeluarkan akhir bulan ini.
Semalam, seorang pegawai penguat kuasa kanan SPRM didakwa di mahkamah atas kesalahan penyelewengan RM25 juta wang tunai yang merupakan bukti yang berkaitan dengan kes rasuah besar.
Terpulang kepada mahkamah untuk memutuskan sama ada pegawai kanan SPRM itu bersalah.
Tetapi jika SPRM menghadapi masalah untuk menyemai nilai integriti dalam kalangan pegawai SPRM, bagaimanakah SPRM menjangkakan akan berjaya menerapkan nilai integriti dalam kalangan penduduk Malaysia?
Bukankah nilai integriti dan anti-rasuah ini perlu diajar dari peringkat sekolah rendah lagi?
Badan pemantau pilihan raya, Bersih, telah mengkritik Putrajaya kerana melantik Ahli Parlimen Alor Gajah Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof sebagai pengerusi Boustead Holdings Bhd, atas alasan pelantikan itu tidak beretika kerana ia cuba mendapatkan sokongan.
Bersih berkata pelantikan itu menimbulkan kemungkinan penyalahgunaan sistemik yang hanya akan mengorbankan pembangunan negara dan prestasi ekonomi agensi kerajaan, terutamanya penyalahgunaan kewangan berskala besar seperti skandal 1MDB.
Sidang media “dedah segalanya” SPRM adalah forum yang sesuai untuk SPRM menjelaskan perkara ini dan perkembangan lain berkaitan rasuah di Malaysia.
(Kenyataan Media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Gelang Patah pada hari Rabu, 5 Januari 2022)