Archive for category Corruption
Call on Najib to immediately abolish the practice of support letters for contracts to demonstrate his commitment to zero tolerance for corruption
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Najib Razak, UMNO on Friday, 29 January 2010
When I visited the Lab Open Day of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) in Sunway on 18th December last year, I raised the question about the government’s seriousness and commitment to declare an all-out war against corruption and asked why nobody in government, starting from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had ever talked about “zero tolerance for corruption”, and this question remains as valid today as seven weeks ago.
It is no use the GTP lab on “fighting corruption” referring to “zero tolerance for corruption” when nobody in government, from the Prime Minister downwards is prepared to embrace it.
The GTP Roadmap makes grandiloquent statements and proposals about fighting corruption but the political will to implement them are sorely lacking.
It proposes the gradual reduction of the “practice of support letters, which are used to exert undue influence on civil servants to circumvent standard policies and processes in obtaining contracts”.
It said:
“Often, these interventions do not necessarily originate from politicians themselves, but from vested individuals who use the support letters as leverage to negotiate with the Government.
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PM Najib must institute good governance before the country can achieve high income economy
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Dr. Chen Man Hin, Economics, Najib Razak on Friday, 29 January 2010
by Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP life adviser
PM NAJIB MUST INSTITUTE GOOD GOVERNANCE BEFORE THE COUNTRY CAN ACHIEVE HIGH ECONOMY FOR THE PEOPLE.
Dr. Zakaria, executive director of MIER at an economic conference on 26th January, stated that for Malaysia to become a high income country, it must liberalise the economy to attract both foreign direct investments as well as domestic investments. This is a hopeful statement, from a dedicated public servant, who wants to see his country prosper.
Unfortunately, he is going to be disappointed, not for lack of trying, but because the political and economic realities do not encourage both foreign and domestic investors to put money in this country.
Widespread corruption, racial prejudices and over regulation of the economy are unfriendly and deter investors to invest. Under an unstable cloud, the investors will not deem the climate here favourable to investors. In fact, this has led to a huge outflow of capital from the country.
DISASTROUS CAPITAL FLIGHT
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Away with support letters, cries DAP leader
Posted by Kit in Corruption on Friday, 22 January 2010
by Rahmah Ghazali | Malaysiakini
DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang urged government ministries to get cracking for a total ban on government support letters for those tendering for its projects.
In response to Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat’s statement on the a move by the ministry on Wednesday, Lim had said it was a step in the right direction.
The Ipoh Timor MP said ministries should, instead, replace the questionable support letters with the open tender system.
“The prime minister, PM’s department and other ministries should impose a total ban on support letters and practise open tenders, so questions over the letters would vanish.
“If there are open tenders, then there would be accountability and transparency. They would be open to public scrutiny and all will depend on the merits and demerits of the proposals,” said Lim when contacted.
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There can be no successful new economic model for Malaysia without a credible and meaningful new governance model
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Economics, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Over the weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that the government would announce the new economic model for the country within a month.
When Datuk Seri Najib Razak became the sixth Prime Minister in April last year, he announced that the government would introduce a new economic model for the country to ensure that Malaysia makes a quantum leap to escape the middle-income trap to become a high-income country through greater emphasis on innovation, creativity and competitiveness.
In May last year, the Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said the new economic model would be announced in the second half of the year.
Why has this timeline for the new economic model been postponed until this year when according to Husni’s own admission, the country has already lost a decade in economic stagnation?
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The DAP Ipoh Resolution
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Corruption, Crime, DAP, Economics, Education, environment, Finance, Good Governance, nation building on Monday, 18 January 2010
The DAP Ipoh Resolution:
MUAFAKAT TRANSFORMASI MALAYSIA
(adopted by the DAP National Conference 2010 in Ipoh on Sunday, 17th January 2010)
PREAMBLE
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That the nation is waiting for a profound change is beyond doubt and that it is now a fact that the government-of-the-day is incapable of changing the intolerably arbitrary, self-serving, unjust, cruel and corrupt system of governance;
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That the world does not stand still to wait for Malaysia, and we risk watching Asia changing and its economy growing not as an active participant but as bystander if we do not catch up fast;
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That to save Malaysian governance from further deterioration, the economy from further plunder, and the people from further injustices is a shared imperative;
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That the Democratic Action Party (DAP) therefore, in partnership with other Pakatan Rakyat parties and in cooperation with civil society, is determined to transform Malaysia through a new muafakat (consensus)
- by reversing distortions and corruptions of the Constitution, the rule of law and the system of governance,
- by restoring mutual respect amongst Malaysia’s multiethnic, multicultural and multi-religious peoples,
- by renewing trust in public institutions and in the security services,
- by rejuvenating the economy
- by conserving the environment,
- by revamping the education system, and
- by re-establishing hope in our future as a nation;
Abu Kassim cannot have a more disastrous start as second MACC Chief Commissioner if his first priority is to restore public confidence in the MACC and the national anti-corruption campaign
Posted by Kit in Corruption on Thursday, 14 January 2010
Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed cannot have a more disastrous start as the second Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner if his first priority is to restore public confidence in the MACC and the national anti-corruption campaign which had plunged 33 rankings in 15 years from No. 23 in 1995 to No. 56 in 2009 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.
The MACC had ended its first year with lower public confidence than when it started, fulfilling the worst fears of former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Abdullah had warned at the belated launching of MACC on 24th February last year that the MACC should not end up as just pretty window-dressing of its predecessor the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).
The then Prime Minister had admitted the public perception of the ACA as “not being independent, of being a toothless tiger, of practicing selective enforcement, being late in taking action and not being professional in its investigations has damaged its image and credibility”.
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Two things Abu Kassim can do to demonstrate that he will lead a MACC which is independent, non-partisan and professional gaining national and international confidence and recognition as a foremost graft-buster in the league of Hong Kong’s ICAC
Posted by Kit in Corruption on Monday, 4 January 2010
Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed was sworn in as the new Chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission today. Congratulations.
The question is whether Abu Kassim can redeem the reputation of MACC, which has plunged to the lowest ebb ever plumbed by its predecessor, the Anti-Corruption Agency, in its 41 year history from 1967-2008 – a most adverse reference and comparison.
There are two simple things Abu Kassim can do to demonstrate that he will lead a MACC which is independent, non-partisan and professional gaining national and international confidence and recognition as a fore-most world graft buster in the league of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), viz:
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To direct MACC officer Raub Ghani to drop the baseless police report he lodged against Thai pathologist Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand for allegedly “leaking” information to unauthorized people on the forensic report on the second post mortem on Teoh Beng Hock on Nov. 22; and
MACC police report against Dr. Pornthip – double test case for Selangor CPO Khalid and new MACC Chief Commissioner Abu Kassim
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Police, Teoh Beng Hock on Sunday, 3 January 2010
Last week, Selangor Chief Police Officer Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar announced a second police report lodged by the police over the mysterious death of DAP political aide, Teoh Beng Hock at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16 last year.
Khalid said the police would be hauling up the Selangor DAP State Chairman and Selangor State Exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah under Section 506 of the Penal Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for allegedly intimidating the police in “directing” the police to cease their investigation of Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng for sedition.
Will Khalid direct the Selangor police to lodge a police report against himself, for Khalid had been guilty of the offence of publishing “false news” under the Printing Presses and Publications Act as Hian Wah never “directed” but merely urged the police to stop their baseless investigation of Guan Eng.
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Najib rejects royal commission to probe Dr M
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Dec 29, 09 7:42pm
Malaysiakini
Prime Minister Najib Razak said there was no need for a royal commission of inquiry to look into allegations hurled at former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the book ‘Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times’ authored by Barry Wain.
“There is always this call for a royal commission, everything you want royal commission, but (this) is not appropriate to call for a royal commission just because somebody has written a book.
“What is important for us is to look forward to the future. Each prime minister has made a lot of contribution, otherwise we wouldn’t be what we are today, Malaysia will not be a successful nation and regarded as a role model if all the PMs in the past had not made their contribution,” he said.
On Dec 21, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang in his blog had urged Najib to set up a royal commission to probe the allegations contained in the book, which among others had claimed that Mahathir had squandered up to RM100 billion during his 22 years as prime minister. Read the rest of this entry »
Missing jet engines spark crisis in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Defence, PKFZ on Wednesday, 23 December 2009
By Kevin Brown in Singapore | Financial Times
Published: December 22 2009 13:58 | Last updated: December 22 2009 13:58
The Malaysian government is facing a fresh corruption crisis after officials admitted that two US-made fighter jet engines had disappeared from an air force base after apparently being illicitly sold by military officers to a South American arms dealer.
Najib Razak, prime minister, said there would be a full investigation of the thefts, which happened in 2007 and 2008, when he was defence minister. However, opposition parties accused the government of covering up the incidents.
Lim Kit Siang, parliamentary leader of the opposition Democratic Action party, said the authorities had been “super slow” and claimed that the prime minister’s response had painted “a frightening picture of a government of thieves”.
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Why nobody in government starting from Najib has ever talked about “zero tolerance for corruption” to demonstrate their seriousness about battling corruption?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Najib Razak on Friday, 18 December 2009
I visited the public display of the various laboratories of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Petaling Jaya today.
I was pleasantly surprised that some of the concepts and objectives which I had espoused both in and out of Parliament have found their way into the initiatives proposed – which is a different matter about their implementation.
The laboratory on “Battling Corruption” referred to “zero tolerance for corruption” while the laboratory on “Fighting Crime” referred to battling the people’s “fear of crime”.
When I had advocated the former, it had elicited indifferent response while in the latter, there was negative reaction in the form of righteous denial there was ever the problem of the “fear of crime” among Malaysians in the country.
When visiting the various Key Performance Index (KPI) and National Key Results Area (NKRA) laboratories, the foremost question is whether there had been a real change of heart by the Barisan Nasional government, followed quickly by a flurry of other questions, such as:
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How many Malaysians will agree with Attorney-General that Phang, Stephen and Tan are “big fishes” in the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, PKFZ on Friday, 11 December 2009
Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail yesterday said that former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Datin Paduka O.C.Phang, Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd. Chief operating officer Stephen Abok and architect Bernard Tan Seng Swee of BTA Architect charged with multiple counts of criminal breach of trust and cheating are “big fishes” in the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.
How many Malaysians will agree with Gani that these three are the “big fishes” in the PKFZ scandal?
Guilty or otherwise, there can be no doubt that the trio are mere “cogs in the wheel” of the “mother of all scandals” and the authorities concerned have still to bring the “big fishes” to justice.
Gani said that investigations into the PKFZ scandal are ongoing and more people would be brought to book.
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“Teoh Beng Hock’s case is nothing. It is a very small case.” – Ahmad Said’s guilty mind speaking
Posted by Kit in Corruption on Monday, 7 December 2009
The outgoing Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said gravely damaged his own case that he was not stepping down early because of political pressure.
Denying that the mysterious death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock at the MACC headquarters at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam on July 16, 2009 had attributed to his early retirement, Ahmad said:
“Teoh Beng Hock’s case is nothing. It is a very small case. We have handled much bigger cases.’’
This is generally received by Malaysians as Ahmad Said’s guilty mind speaking, admitting that the MACC cannot exonerate itself or exculpate responsibility for Teoh’s death whatever the outcome of the ongoing inquest to Teoh’s death.
Ahmad’s statement is heartless and grossly insensitive, rubbing salt into the wounds in the hearts of all decent and justice-loving Malaysia.
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Under Abu Kassim, can MACC redeem itself and restore public confidence, which has plunged to lowest ebb in nation’s history, as an independent, professional and fearless fighter against corruption?
Posted by Kit in Corruption on Saturday, 5 December 2009
Generally news of the early retirement of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan have elicited two responses.
Firstly, Ahmad Said’s 30-month tenure as anti-corruption chief saw public confidence in the anti-corruption agency, Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and later MACC, plunged to the lowest ebb in nation’s history.
This is supreme irony and greatest national disservice. The MACC which started operations this year had been touted as modeled after world-famous Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and would be an even more effective anti-corruption agency because of the various panels and mechanisms exercising oversight to ensure its independence and professionalism.
It is however no exaggeration to say that public confidence in the ACA in its 40-year history had never fallen as low as during the first year of operation of MACC.
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DAP: No sense gaining RM1b from GST to lose RM28b to graft
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Economics on Monday, 30 November 2009
By Clara Chooi | The Malaysian Insider
IPOH, Nov 29 – DAP has urged the Federal Government to reconsider the proposed 4 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST), claiming it would do nothing to narrow the nation’s current deficit budget and would only further burden the poor and the middle class.
Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that the Government should, instead, concentrate on fighting corruption and realising savings of at least RM28bil annually instead of a mere RM1bil in additional revenue from GST.
“This RM28bil was admitted by Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah as the cost of leakages from having closed tenders in government procurement or just failing to have open tenders for government contracts in an open manner.
“If the government focuses on changing this, there is no need to impose GST on the people to raise funds.
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Open Tender for all government procurements – most effective way to prevent corruption and ensure efficiency
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Dr. Chen Man Hin, Good Governance, Najib Razak on Friday, 27 November 2009
by Dr. Chen Man Hin
Last year on August 5th the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was quoted as saying that open tender would be implemented for government procurements. This was a very encouraging statement and gave the impression that he really intended to institute reforms to bring about better governance. Was this the signal that things are changing?
Later, when he was anointed prime minister, he announced further reforms to launch off his “1 Malaysia, People First, Performance Now” concept. This was even more promising.
Unfortunately, the euphoria engendered so far has now vanished by the announcement in Parliament on Wednesday that MATRADE expo – the biggest and most comprehensive exhibition center – would be awarded to a private contractor NAZA TTDI through private negotiated deal. The government procurement was NOT given out by OPEN TENDER.
This is a shocking development and has unravelled all the attempts by Najib to initiate a series of reforms for better governance in a “1 Malaysia”. Read the rest of this entry »
PAC must act fast – prevent another multibillion-ringgit Matrade 2 scandal after the 10-year RM287 million Matrade 1 scandal
Posted by Kit in Corruption, NEP, Parliament on Thursday, 26 November 2009
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) must act fast – prevent another multibillion-ringgit Matrade 2 scandal after the 10-year RM287 million Matrade 1 scandal.
The PAC had previously held several meetings on the Matrade 1 scandal, but they were of no practical relevance or consequence as what the PAC did was to lock the stable door after the horses had bolted.
As far as I know, not a single sen had been recovered by the government despite solemn assurances in Parliament by the Ministers concerned to pursue legal actions and penalties against the defaulting parties – with the Umno cronies laughing all the way to the bank with their ill-gotten multi-million ringgit NEP gains.
In the first Matrade scandal, the 24-storey Matrade building took some 10 years to be completed at a RM120 million cost overrun resulting in a final cost of RM287 million, i.e. at over 70 per cent of the original estimates of RM167 million. For years, the cracked façade of the incomplete Read the rest of this entry »
Lack of transparency in RM628 million Matrade expo centre deal for 65 acres of prime land in KL for Naza TTDI with GDV of RM15 billion could further plunge Malaysia’s competitiveness and corruption perception rankings next year
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Economics, Parliament on Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Just spoke in Parliament on the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. I started by asking Parliament and government to give serious thought to a Malaysian Insider report today, and in particular its catchy headline “Malaysia’s next export: Maids?”
The Malaysian Insider report states:
The nation’s mismanagement of talent could have serious repercussions not only on its ambitions to become a high income economy on par with that of developed nations but could also lead it to fall further behind even its counterparts in the region. Read the rest of this entry »
More answers from Minister in PM Department on Corruption
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Parliament on Tuesday, 24 November 2009
(1) Jawapan Bertulis YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri semasa menggulung perbahasan Bajet 2010 peringkat dasar pada 9 November 2009
Tuan Yang di-Pertua
Berhubung kenyataan YB Ipoh Timur bahawa tiada political will (dengan izin) yang diperlihatkan oleh YAB Perdana Menteri dalam memerangi rasuah dan pembentukan SPRM serta pembaharuan lain bagi memerangi rasuah adalah tidak efektif, sebenarnya kenyataan YB mengenai perkara ini adalah tidak berasas sama sekali. Hakikatnya the record speaks for itself (dengan izin) telah membuktikan bahawa Kerajaan dan SPRM komited dan bersungguh-sungguh dalam menangani isu rasuah. Ini terbukti melalui perangkaan tangkapan dan pertuduhan terhadap ahli-ahli parti politik dan juga pegawai kanan Kerajaan yang telah saya bentangkan sebentar tadi.
Bukankah kesediaan Kerajaan pimpinan YAB Perdana Menteri untuk memperkenalkan Whistle Blower Protection Act (dengan izin) bagi menggalakkan pemberi maklumat untuk tampil membuat pendedahan jenayah rasuah merupakan satu contoh political will (dengan izin). Bukan setakat itu sahaja, Kerajaan juga akan menambah 14 buah Mahkamah Sesyen dan 4 buah Mahkamah Tinggi bagi mempercepatkan process perbicaraan sesuatu kes berbanding 4 buah Mahkamah Sesyen sedia ada.
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Parliament question on DPM use of Nuri helicopter for Umno functions
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Muhyiddin Yassin, Parliament on Monday, 23 November 2009
Question:
To ask the Prime Minister the guidelines on the use of government aircrafts by Ministers for personal and political party purposes, and why no action has been taken against abuses of power in August by Deputy Prime Minister who had crash-land in Sabah when using RMAF Nuri helicopter for Umno functions.
Answer: (Dato Seri Mohd Nazri Aziz)
Mr Speaker, Sir,
The guidelines for the use of aircrafts are based on the Surat Pekeliling Am Sulit Bil. 1 Tahun 1987 Peraturan Peraturan Penggunaan Jet Eksekutif Kerajaan dan Pesawat-pesawat TUDM which allocates government executive jet aircrafts for the use of DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong, YAB Prime Minister and YAB Deputy Prime Minister.
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