Archive for category Corruption
King’s two important calls ignored by public service for 3 months
Posted by Kit in Corruption, public service on Monday, 11 June 2007
At the official opening of the third session of Parliament on March 19, the new Yang di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin called for the elimination of corruption and said the monitoring of government projects must be reinforced to ensure they benefited the target groups, particularly the poor and marginalized.
“Wipe out graft, ensure projects well monitored” was the headline of the New Straits Times report the next day, but in the past three months, the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s call have been ignored by the public service itself.
On the anti-corruption front, Malaysia is losing out to other countries in the war against corruption undermining the country’s international competitiveness.
For instance, Malaysia had been well ahead of China in international corruption perception surveys, but China is making leaps and bounds in its anti-corruption drive as compared to Malaysia which had been backsliding despite the pledge by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to make anti-corruption the main plank of his premiership when he assumed the highest office in the land some 44 months ago.
In one recent corruption survey of Asian nations, the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risks Consultancy (PERC) survey, China has almost caught up with Malaysia and unless Malaysia pulls up its bootstraps, demonstrates a political will to wipe out corruption and produces results, it will not be long before Malaysia will be trailing behind China in regional or international corruption perception surveys.
Recent developments do not give cause for optimism that Malaysia can fight off the challenge from China. For instance, in the past few days alone, there have been news reinforcing the image that China is indeed serious in its anti-corruption drive, however formidable the problem. Read the rest of this entry »
Media blackout/self-censorship under Abdullah as bad or even worse than under Mahathir
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Media on Sunday, 10 June 2007
The media blackout or self-censorship of unpleasant or unfavourable news under the Abdullah administration is getting as bad or even worse than the 22-year Mahathir premiership.
The latest example is the blackout in the local media of a survey by the Singapore American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) released on Friday that executives of United States companies in Southeast Asia say corruption is a “major impediment” to doing business in five countries in the region, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Singapore was the only country in the survey where corruption was not considered a major issue.
The lack of predictability and stability in government regulations were also major concerns for American companies doing business in ASEAN countries. Read the rest of this entry »
RM530 million Transmile accounting fraud – how Liong Sik is to assume responsibility as Chairman?
Posted by Kit in Corruption on Saturday, 2 June 2007
Former MCA President and Cabinet Minister, Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik was quite active in the past month, as a search with The Star archives would produce eight news items featuring him, including one today at the ceremony at the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) campus in Kampar yesterday planting a Blue Pine tree.
But he has been very reticent on what has been described as the biggest accounting and corporate scandal in recent times in Malaysia, even likened to the accounting fiasco of Enron and Woldcom, although Ling is the Chairman of Transmile Group Bhd — the company which had overstated its revenue by RM530 million.
According to a special audit carried out by Moores Rowland Risk Management Sdn. Bhd, Transmile made pre-tax losses of RM126 million and RM77 million for FY 2006 and FY 2005 , respectively, instead of pre-tax profits of RM207 million and RM120 million as originally reported.
This means that Transmile had overstated its revenue by RM197 million in 2005 and by RM333 million in 2006 — a total of RM530 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia No. 9 ranking in perceived judicial corruption – so groundless/untrue that judiciary/govt. dare not claim credit
Posted by Kit in Corruption on Thursday, 31 May 2007
Since last Friday, I had been baffled and mystified by news reports that Malaysia is ranked ninth out of 62 countries in a global survey by Transparency International (TI) on perceived judicial corruption — which is so groundless and untrue that the judiciary and government are too embarrassed to come forward to claim credit.
At the launching of the TI Global Corruption Report 2007 on “Corruption in Judicial Systems” marked by a panel discussion participated by the Bar Council and the Malaysia Integrity Institute, Transparency International Malaysia President Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said he was “pleasantly surprised” with the TI survey on perceived judicial corruption for Malaysia.
If it is true that Malaysia is ranked as the ninth least corrupt nation in the world in perceived judicial corruption, then it is a fantastic feather in the cap on the occasion of Malaysia’s 50th Merdeka Anniversary celebrations and should be trumpeted all over the country and the world as Malaysians have the right to take pride at such an achievement.
But mystery of mysteries, there had been total silence from the judiciary and the government on the claim that Malaysia is ranked No. 9 among the world’s cleanest judiciary in the whole of the past week — when the government had never been shy in exploiting such good news to the hilt.
For instance, when Malaysia’s world competitiveness ranking improved by five places and was ranked 16th as compared to 21st position in 2003 in the Swiss-based International Institute of Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) 2004, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi immediately quoted it as authority in his keynote address at the Malaysia-China Business Dialogue in Beijing on 28th May 2004 during his first official visit to China as premier as testimonial why Malaysia was a good place to do business.
However, when Malaysia’s world competitiveness ranking plunged 12 places from 16th to 28th position in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005 in May 2005, it was met with a six-month stony silence by Ministers and government leaders as if the report never existed.
Why is the judiciary and government behaving so strangely as if they are more embarrassed than elated by the TI’s global survey reportedly placing Malaysia in the world’s top 10 countries on judicial integrity and honesty.
Could it be that the judiciary and government do not believe it themselves and are too shy to claim credit for what they know is patently groundless and untrue? Read the rest of this entry »
Will Cabinet adopt “RM22,500 fines for selling Milo at RM1.80” rule to fight corruption?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Law & Order on Tuesday, 29 May 2007
The Cabinet tomorrow should decide whether it is prepared to endorse and adopt the “RM22,500 fines for selling Milo at RM1.80” rule as the yardstick to punish the corrupt among the high and mighty to restore integrity and good governance in public life in Malaysia.
This follows the very high-handed action of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement officers penalizing a mamak restaurant in Kuala Terengganu, Restoran Nasi Kandar Tanjung, issuing compound fines of RM22,500 for charging RM1.80 for a glass of iced Milo.
The Ministry enforcement officers also seized food and drinks worth about RM750 and they also tore down the shop’s signboard.
Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh was full of praise for the high-handed enforcement action, which had been criticized as overzealous and unwarranted, saying that it was high time such severe action be a lesson to all food outlet operators who flouted the law.
Are the RM22,500 fines for charging RM1.80 for a glass of iced Milo defensible? Absolutely not, as they are not only high-handed, overzealous, unwarranted but gross abuses of power.
I fully endorse actions by enforcement officers against food operators or traders for indiscriminate price increases, but one power abuse cannot justify another even more heinous power abuse.
I am all for the deterrent principle, as contained in the Chinese saying “to kill a fowl to frighten the moneys”, to curb exorbitant profiteering but this cannot justify gross abuses of power which undermines public confidence in good governance in the country. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysian heads Fiji Anti-Corruption Commission?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Court on Sunday, 27 May 2007
(1) Radio New Zealand International
Head of Fiji’s Independent Commission against Corruption to remain head of LAWASIA
Posted at 01:33 on 26 May, 2007 UTC
The newly appointed commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption , Mah Weng Kwai of Malaysia, says he will remain the president of the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific.
As well, Mr Kwai has told the Fiji Times he will maintain his law practice in Kuala Lumpur.
He says he did not apply for the job but was offered it and accepted because of concern about allegations of corruption.
Mr Mah says he deems his appointment valid and questions about the validity of the commission would be best dealt with by the courts.
He says there is a need for foreigners to take up the reigns at the anti-corruption commission because they are not connected to local politics.
World’s second largest court complex – most mishaps and no CF!
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Court, Good Governance on Saturday, 26 May 2007
For two consecutive days on May 9 and 10, 2007, I had asked in my media statements whether a certificate for fitness for occupation (CF) had been issued for the second largest court complex in the world in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur in view of its many mishaps, and if so when.
If no CF was issued, why was the court complex allowed to be used; and if there was CF, whether actions would be taken against those who had been so negligent as to issue the CF when there are still so many defects, including structural ones, which had to be rectified?
There was silence from the relevant authorities for a fortnight, until Berita Harian front-page headline today screamed: “Mahkamah tiada CF — DBKL belum terima sebarang permohonan: Datuk Bandar”.
I am surprised that Datuk Nazri Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of the law portfolio, had not acted with dispatch following the alert I sounded on May 9 as to whether there was any CF for the Jalan Duta court complex.
Nazri should also explain why two different figures for the cost of the court complex had been quoted by the media in the past month — RM270 million and RM290 million. Or have we reached a stage where RM20 million is chickenfeed and is not worth any bother, when damages, losses and criminal misappropriation are in the region of hundreds of millions or even billions of ringgit? Read the rest of this entry »
Nazri vs Dompok – Nazri’s double-standards and hypocrisy
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Parliament on Saturday, 19 May 2007
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told today that Tan Sri Bernard Dompok had reBerita Harian signed as Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) because the latter was frustrated that Nazri had objected to the PSCI calling the then Director-General of Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor to appear before the Select Committee. Dompok is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Berita Harian’s report “Dompok kecewa JPN enggan temui PSCI” said:
Nazri yang menyifatkan kenyataan bekas pengerusi PSCI terhadapnya semalam sebagai pandangan peribadi berkata, Dompok sepatutnya memahami arahan Kabinet bahawa jawatankusasa seperti itu bukan berperanan sebagai badan penyiasat, sebaliknya hanya mengumpul maklumat daripada orang ramai mengenai sesuatu isu atau masalah.
“Keputusan Kabinet jelas… jawatankuasa itu hanya buat perbicaraan awam iaitu mengumpulkan maklumat, bukannya menyiasat kes yang ditimbulkan.
“Apa yang perlu mereka buat adalah iklankan dalam akhbar bila dan tempat mereka mahu buat perbicaraan awam untuk membolehkan orang ramai datang memberikan pandangan terhadap masalah atau isu.
“Jika dia (Dompok) tidak dengar cakap Kit Siang, tak jadi masalah, tetapi dia nak jadi badan penyiasat, kita tak setuju,” katanya.
Nazri owes PSCI, Parliament and Malaysians answers to three questions:
Firstly, why is he interfering with the autonomy of Parliament and the PSCI to conduct its own affairs, as if he is a Super-Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, more powerful than the Select Committees, their members and Chairmen;
Secondly, from Nazri’s statement, it is clear that the Cabinet has arrogated to itself powers to direct Parliamentary Select Committees how it should function — which makes a mockery of Parliamentary independence and accountability of Cabinet to Parliament;
Thirdly, why his double-standards and hypocrisy in opposing the ACA Director-General being invited to appear before PSCI while not objecting to the earlier appearance of Customs Director-General before the committee? Read the rest of this entry »
Nazri – running spy network among MPs?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Parliament on Friday, 18 May 2007
I am calling this media conference on the statement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, on the reasons for the shock resignation of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok as Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI), which has been reported extensively in the media such as “Dompok influenced by Kit Siang, says Nazri” (The Sun) and “Nazri: Dompok influenced by panel deputy chairman Kit Siang” (New Straits Times),
Firstly, let me say that I fully agree with Dompok in describing Nazri’s statement as “a cheap shot”. It is a low blow and most unbecoming of one Minister to make of another, especially when it is founded on baseless rumours and hearsay. What Nazri said was just poppycock.
Nazri said my alleged “influence” over Dompok was “causing uneasiness among other members of the committee”.
NST reported:
Nazri said members of the committee had complained that Dompok was being influenced by Lim.
“I know what is going on in the committee as the BN members on it report to me. I learnt of this unhappiness from them,” he said.
Asked why they did not indicate their unhappiness to Dompok, Nazri said as disciplined BN members, they followed what the committee head instructed.
“(Dompok) is a cabinet member. They will never go against him,” he said.
Firstly, Who are these “BN members” on the PSCI who had reported to him behind its back — which is a gross breach of parliamentary privilege! This is because the PSCI and Parliamentary Select Committees are only to report to Parliament and not to any single Minister, be he the Minister in charge of Parliamentary Affairs!
Or is one of the functions of the Minister in charge of Parliamentary Affairs to run a network of spies among BN MPs in the various Select Committees?
Secondly, I challenge these BN MPs on the PSCI who have been carrying tales of half-truths and downright lies against Dompok to Nazri to come out into the open to declare themselves; prove that they are honourable men and women and not “petty characters”; and explain why they had been guilty of such unethical, unparliamentary and disgraceful conduct. Read the rest of this entry »
Bernard Dompok’s resignation as PSCI chairman – red-light warning that Abdullah’s anti-corruption campaign run aground
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Parliament on Thursday, 17 May 2007
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok has dropped a bombshell with his sudden and shock resignation as Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) yesterday.
Yesterday at 5.23 pm, I received a faxed letter from Bernard on his resignation, which reads:
15 Mei 2007
YB Tuan Lim Kit Siang
Ahli Parlimen Kawasan Ipoh TimurYang Berhormat,
Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Dewan Rakyat Mengenai Integrity
Dengan rendah hati, saya dengan ini ingin memaklumkan kepada Yang Berhormat bahawa saya telah membuat keputusan untuk meletak jawatan daripada Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Dewan Rakyat Mengenai Integrity.
Saya rasa sebagai salah seorang ahli Kabinet, saya mungkin tidak dapat berlaku adil terhadap tanggungjawab yang dimandatkan oleh Parlimen kepada Jawatankuasa. Saya sudah memberitahu keputusan saya ini kepada Yang di Pertua Dewan Rakyat.
Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan terima kasih yang tidak terhingga kepada Yang Berhormat atas kerjasama penuh yang telah anda berikan kepada saya semasa saya menjadi pengerusi Jawatankuasa itu.
Yang ikhlas
(Tan Sri Bernard Dompok)
Earlier at 4.40 p.m. Bernard had informed me by phone that he had tendered his resignation as Chairman of the PSCI.
Bernard’s shock resignation as PSCI Chairman yesterday must be regarded as a red-light warning that the national integrity and anti-corruption campaign of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has run aground after 42 months.
Bernard’s resignation as PSCI chairman is not a matter which merely concerns him, because of his invidious and unenviable position of chairing the parliamentary select committee on integrity while being a Cabinet Minister. Read the rest of this entry »
Public building mishaps – end Samy Vellu farce, get Cabinet out of the way and emulate South Korean/Singapore examples
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Good Governance on Friday, 4 May 2007
Yesterday was the opening of the RM290 million largest court complex in the world in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur marked by more mishaps, after the ceiling collapse in the secretarial room of Civil High Court judge Datuk Abdul Malik on Monday.
Firstly, cracks measuring more than three metres appeared on the fourth floor corridors opposite Magistrate Four.
Then one of the lifts broke down, trapping eight passengers for about half an hour.
Car parking is going to be a nightmare for lawyers and the justice-seeking public who have to go to the Jalan Duta Court Complex, which would house 77 courts comprising 26 magistrate’s courts, 21 Sessions Courts and 30 High Courts. The RM290 million Court Complex in Jalan Duta is clearly most unfriendly to the justice-seeking public.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has said that his Ministry will assemble a team of experts to investigate the faults at the court complex in Jalan Duta, the Immigration Headquarters building in Putrajaya and the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry building, also in Putrajaya.
He said the team would deliver a preliminary report on Monday for him to present to the Prime Minister at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday where further details, including repair costs, would be discussed.
I say: End the Samy Vellu farce and get Cabinet out of the way — emulate South Korean and Singapore examples to establish independent inquiries into construction disasters and prosecute defaulting parties regardless of cronies or proxies! Read the rest of this entry »
Congrats and 3 immediate tasks for Raymond Tan as new Sabah DCM
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Sabah on Friday, 4 May 2007
Congrats to Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah on his appointment as Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Vice President Datuk Liew Yun Fan as Minister for Youth and Sports..
I do not expect any thanks from the duo, although all Sabahans know that if not for my strong criticisms of the Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman during my three-day political tour of Tawau, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan last weekend for leaving vacant the two posts relinquished by Tan Sri Chong Kah Keat and the marginalization of both the Chinese and the Kadazandusun Murut communities in Sabah Baru, both appointments would have remained shelved.
Although the Sabah State Secretary Datuk K. Y. Mustafa said yesterday that Musa had informed the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of the reshuffle on April 25 and he had agreed to the appointments, nobody would believe Mustapha’s statement.
If Mustapha was speaking the truth, then Musa has a blackmark in setting the worst record for any state government leader in having to take nine long days to implement such a decision, which would normally be announced on the very same day itself
Can Musa explain the reasons for such gross incompetence and ineptitude?
Mustafa was clearly trying to shield the Chief Minister and fend off my political criticisms of Musa on this issue, but it is not his job as the state’s No. 1 civil servant to be embroiled in the political waters.
Mustafa should zealously safeguard the independence, impartiality, professionalism and image of the state civil service and not compromise them by doing political yeoman service for his political master.
Mustafa should leave politics to the politicians and do a good job as a model civil servant in the state by demonstrating that as the No. 1 civil servant in Sabah, he fully understands the meaning of civil service independence, impartiality, integrity and non-partisanship and is guided by these principles in his every action and statement. Read the rest of this entry »
Tip of iceberg? More disastrous public building mishaps to come?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Good Governance on Wednesday, 2 May 2007
Transparency International Malaysia President Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam has said that the recent collapse at three new government buildings is symptomatic of the state of deterioration in standards, quality, productivity and efficiency in the country.
He said that there’s too much concern to make a quick buck and too little attention given to professionalism and warned that this could be “tip of the iceberg”.
Ramon is eminently qualified to pass such a stricture on the public service delivery system as he was one of the last top non-Malay civil servants, at a time when the Malaysian public service was still identified with quality and world-class standards.
The question posed by Ramon is uppermost in the minds of Malaysians — whether the trio of mishaps of three brand new government buildings in the past three weeks are mere “tip of the iceberg” which portend even more disastrous mishaps in the near future with grave consequences to life, limb and property?
In actual fact, there had been quite a catalogue of construction mishaps in the past three months, as apart from the recent trio – the flooding of the seven-floor Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya because of plumbing failure, the collapse of a ceiling at the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry in Putrajaya and the ceiling collapse in a secretary’s room at the world’s largest court complex at the Jalan Duta court complex — other mishaps involving brand-new government buildings and public projects or those under construction included the Parliament (ceiling collapse as a result of pipe leakage), Matrade Building, MRR2, fungus in new hospitals, the navy complex fiasco, smart lab fiasco, etc.
The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called for the Public Works Department to inspect all government buildings nationwide while the Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has welcomed the call and praised the Prime Minister’s for his wisdom!
This is most ridiculous and outrageous. How did Malaysia descend so quick and fast in the past three years down the slippery slope of a third-world nation, not only in the maintenance culture but in the deterioration in standards, quality, productivity and efficiency in the public service delivery system? Read the rest of this entry »
Curses of 2Cs and 2Is in Sandakan and Sabah
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Sabah on Monday, 30 April 2007
For 12 years from 1978 to 1990, Sandakan was represented by the DAP in Parliament and the people of Sandakan were in the political vanguard in the state and nation in the battle for justice, equality and democracy.
In the past 17 years from 1990 to 2007, the people of Sandakan withdrew from this front-line role for political change in Sabah and Malaysia.
Last year, the wind of political change blew strong and hard in Sarawak when six DAP representatives were elected into the Sarawak State Assembly, fundamentally altering the culture, quality and direction of Sarawak State Assembly proceedings and Sarawak politics.
Many are hoping that this “Sarawak wind of political change” will also blow in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah come the next general election, which is most likely at the end of this year or early next year after Barisan Nasional’s surprise result in the Ijok by-election in Selangor yesterday.
The time has come for the wind of political change to blow again in the “Land Below the Wind” as Sabah was known.
Earlier today, together with the Sarawak DAP Assemblywoman for Pending Violet Yong and Pahang DAP Assemblyman for Triang Leong Ngah Ngah, I visited the new Sandakan market which had been operating for four months.
It was a grandiose “white-elephant” which cost RM34 million or over 60 per cent cost overrun from the original estimate of RM21 million — an outstanding symbol of the lack of municipal good governance in Sandakan and Sabah as well as the lack of accountability, integrity and effective democratic representation.
The cries of the majority of the stallholders in the new Sandakan market that they are sandwiched between high rentals and poor business as a result of bad siting, lack of supportive infrastructure like proper bus service and sub-standard construction despite exorbitant construction costs, had been totally ignored by all the three tiers of government – local, state and national.
The Sabah State Assembly had just concluded its meeting last week but nobody raised the scandal of the RM34 million new Sandakan market in the Sabah State Assembly. Read the rest of this entry »
How can a law-abiding cybercafe operator survive in corruption-rife Malaysia?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Good Governance on Thursday, 26 April 2007
I have received a heart-rending appeal for help as to how a law-abiding cafe operator could survive in corruption-rife Malaysia.
The cybercafe operator J is “almost at the end of the road” after being in the business for the past five years and is regretting that he had “picked the wrong country to live and grow by doing business and earn a living”.
He had ventured into the cybercafe business for the last five years after he lost his job as a IT hardware/software salesman. With 2nd class honours degree in Business information System in a UK university, he never got any better job which paid enough commensurate with his qualification.
He had paid for his entire studies right from local college to university in UK, working since in high school till university as a part-time technician in computer shops, selling self-build computers from home, etc.
While in UK, he saw cybercafes as a booming industry and dreamt of owning such a business one day.
But now, he his staring at the stark possibility of having to close down his business with debts of bank loans near to RM1 million – all because a licence is required to run such a business.
Back in 2002, when he started with 30 computers in his hometown, he took him more than a year to get a licence to operate the business. Why the one-year wait? Read the rest of this entry »
Ijok – BN transforms into “Bribery Nasional” with cornucopia of corrupt electoral practices
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Election on Tuesday, 24 April 2007
It speaks volumes that I was invited to the launching of the National Integrity Plan (NIP) by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi three years ago but I was not invited to the third anniversary commemoration of the NIP and the Integrity Institute of Malaysia (ITM) led by Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday.
I take this as a realization and admission by the government and organizers of the third anniversary commemoration of the NIP that whatever their public posturing and speechifying, corruption has gotten worse in the past three years and the NIP has become quite a joke.
Even former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who is not famous for leading a government of integrity, could elicit national and international approval when he said corruption under Abdullah in the past three years is worse than during his 22-year administration.
As far back as May 2005, Mahathir had warned that “corruption might be getting to a point of no return”, that it had become a culture in Malaysia with corruption almost at the “above the table” level and more and more people no longer trying to hide the fact that they were corrupt.
Why is Malaysia becoming even more corrupt than before when there was no National Integrity Plan, as testified by Malaysia’s seven-point drop in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) rankings from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 44 in 2006, and with all signs of heading further south in the 2007 ranking on the occasion of our 50th Merdeka anniversary?
What is the use of having a National Integrity Plan when there is even no integrity to admit that the NIP is a flop with regard to its most outstanding five-year objective to improve Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking to at least 30th position by 2008 — that we are going backward instead of forward in the battle against corruption?
I picked up on a comment on my blog and asked in Parliament yesterday whether BN has not become “Bribery Nasional” from the blatant money politics and electoral corruption in Ijok by-election and most recently the Machap by-election?
The full transformation of BN into “Bribery Nasional” in Machap and Ijok by-elections has made a total mockery of the third anniversary commemoration of the National Integrity Plan and the Integrity Institute of Malaysia — and I can understand why I did not receive any invitation to it. Read the rest of this entry »
Ijok money-politics and electoral corruption – worst in 50 years of by-elections
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Election, UMNO on Monday, 23 April 2007
In a Mingguan Malaysia interview yesterday, the Election Commission Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman challenged the general perception that the Election Commission is not fair, independent and transparent in the discharge of its constitutional mandate to conduct elections.
Rashid is defending the indefensible as the Election Commission’s record is a history of unmitigated and abysmal failure to conduct free, fair, transparent and clean elections and the “sins” of the Election Commission are long and ignominous.
How can the Election Commission claim to have conducted fair and transparent elections in the past and the present when such blemishes as the following continue unaddressed:
- Opposition parties not allowed to send polling agents to supervise the casting of postal ballots by members of the police and security forces to ensure free and fair casting of votes.
- The huge presence of “phantom” voters.
- Inability to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive electoral roll with the highest possible percentage of eligible voters on the electoral register as there are at present 4.9 million eligible but unregistered voters.
- Prohibit unfair, dishonest and one-sided media coverage, whether print , radio or television during the election campaigns, such as “below-the-belt” and unethical cartoons, write-ups, broadcasts and telecasts and the “fear and scare” advertisements against the Opposition.
- Prohibit money politics, not only by candidates but also by political parties.
- Prohibit abuse of government resources and funds during election campaigns. Read the rest of this entry »
Corruption investigations into Johari and Zulkipli – Nazri should make Ministerial statement
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Police on Sunday, 22 April 2007
I fully support the call by Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharum for public announcement of outcome of Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigations on RM5.5 million graft allegations against him in connection with the Emergency Ordinance (EO) “freedom for sale” scandal.
The ACA acting director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan had said that ACA had completed its investigations on the graft allegations against Johari shortly after the deputy minister was questioned by ACA officials on March 19 and that the investigation papers are now in the hands of the prosecution division.
Johari said he hoped that the Attorney-General’s Chambers would announce its decision quickly to clear his name.
If what Ahmad Said is true, then the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail should explain why the Attorney-General’s Chambers is taking more than a month to decide on the ACA investigations papers into Johari in connection with the RM5.5 million “EO freedom for sale” allegations.
The outcome of police investigations into the serious corruption allegations made against the then ACA director-general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor by former Sabah ACA director and whistleblower Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan in June last year should also be made public. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah must work trebly hard in next few months to have credibility to talk about Mission 2057
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Good Governance on Friday, 20 April 2007
Yesterday’s New Straits Times front-page was completely taken up by two quotes of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s speech on the National Mission for the next 50 years, viz:
“I have not forgotten about Vision 2020. It is a target for us to achieve. But why can’t we think beyond that? We are well placed to envision a century of success… ”
“All those rumours that I’m resigning in July, who is saying this? Some have said I am a one-term prime minister. We will see about that… “
I had three immediate questions when I saw the NST front-page yesterday.
Question 1: This was a speech which Abdullah had delivered as Umno President in a meeting with the “Umno political machinery and Umno psychological warfare unit” (Bernama 19.4.06) at the Putra World Trade Centre last Friday.
Why was such a speech and message delivered to the Umno propaganda and psychological warfare unit aired on RTM1? Is this an open and blatant admission that RTM is nothing more than the propaganda and psychological warfare unit of Umno?
Is this further proof of Malaysia going further down the slippery slope where important distinctions among the three separate entities of government, political party and personal interests have been completely blurred and eradicated among those vested with public trust, whether government power or charge of public funds — when the strict maintenance of such distinctions are the fundamental prerequsities to foster a culture of national integrity and to carry out a successful campaign against corruption?
The Machap by-election and the current Ijok by-election have seen such blurring and eradication of distinctions among the three entities of government, political party and personal interests reaching an unprecedented level in the past 50 years. Read the rest of this entry »
Ijok by-election: Khir Toyo arrested and charged for corruption if ACA independent
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Election on Wednesday, 18 April 2007
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo would have been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and charged for corruption in connection with the Ijok by-election in Selangor if the ACA is an independent and professional body.
This is because even before the Ijok by-election nomination tomorrow, money politics to buy votes have started with the announcement by Khir Toyo of RM36 million for various development projects in the Ijok constituency.
Instead, the ACA had acted “blind, deaf and mute” to such money politics and corrupt practices to buy votes in the by-election.
This is what I said in Parliament this evening during the winding-up of the Prime Minister’s Department in the committee stage debate of the 2007 Supplementary Estimates.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Nazri Aziz disputed my charges as being unfair to the ACA and openly asked the ACA officers on duty in Parliament to take note of my strictures. I stood my ground. Read the rest of this entry »
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