I was shocked when I was informed by the press at about 3 pm about the cancellation of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) meeting on Monday, March 12, 2007 to hear the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director-general, Datuk Zulkipli Mat Noor and former top ACA officer and “whistleblower”, Mohamad Ramli Manan on serious allegations of corruption in the ACA. The announcement had been made by the PSCI Chairman Tan Sri Bernard Compok.
I was formally informed of the cancellation of the PSCI meeting by a parliamentary officer at 4.40 p.m. by phone, who told me that the Secretary to Parliament, Datuk Mahmood bin Adam, had signed the notice for the cancellation of the PSCI meeting on Monday for it to be faxed out to the PSCI committee members.
This must be the first time in the history of Parliamentary Select Committees not only in Malaysia but in the Commonwealth where the media are given earlier notice than the MPs concerned of the cancellation of a Select Committee meeting.
As the March 12 meeting to hear Zulkipli and Ramli was the formal decision of the PSCI meeting on Feb. 28, when it met to deal with issues concerning the scourge of the false identity card rackets in Sabah, any cancellation of the Monday meeting could only be made by the PSCI itself and not improperly and unilaterally by the Chairman, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
As PSCI Chairman, Bernard must not buckle down to ulterior and improper pressures to unilaterally cancel the Parliamentary Select Committee meeting on Monday to hear Zulkipli and Ramli on ACA corruption .
This incident raises the impropriety of a Cabinet Minister heading a parliamentary select committee. Bernard is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Was the PSCI hearing for Zulkifli and Ramli discussed at the Cabinet meeting yesterday, and was Bernard pressured to cancel the Monday meeting of PSCI, although both Zulkfifli and Ramli have publicly stated their preparedness to appear to tell the whole truth with both claiming that they have nothing to hide.
The filing of legal proceedings by Ramli yesterday against Zulkifli and five other government officials is neither excuse nor justification for the unilateral and unparliamentary cancellation of the PSCI meeting on March 12, as the PSCI is not intended to be a court of law but has special responsibility to address the problem of integrity in ACA, in particular in the latest developments with ACA suffering its worst national and international crisis of confidence in its integrity and incorruptibility.
What is the use of having a Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity when it is unable to deal with the most acute problem of national integrity — the integrity and incorruptibility of ACA?
The notice to cancel the PSCI meeting on Monday is improper, defective, and unparliamentary and should be regarded as null and void, and utterly invalid.
Under the circumstances, the PSCI meetingo on Monday should be held as scheduled, especially as Zulkipli and Ramli have committed publicly to attend. Or will Zulkipli and Ramli use this as an excuse not to appear any more before the PSCI.
I will contact Bernard to impress on him the importance that the Monday meeting of the PSCI should be held as scheduled.
[deleted]
I was surprised that it was even called in the first place. What were they thinking of ? Airing dirty linen in public ? No way. In Bodohland, the thieves get away scot-free and the clowns take centre stage.
Those of you with the means should think about insurance policies for your children.
What can the oppositions do? More demo? The Public don’t care, they are more worry about their own rice bowl than see this two clowns getting into the front page. The public us worry because life is getting harder day by day, they don’t care about this drama, brcause nothing happen at the end of the day. Where? Newspaper said so.. or slowy no more news about it, completely blackout, end of story. No one is interested with drama that has no ending… The public should be worry, they worry about their future, but they don’t care about this two clowns or corruptions in the governemt, because they already worry too much about thier own life.. but how ironic, they didn’t know that it is this corrupted clowns that turns their life upside down. They deserves it…
The name is Integrity but the whole function of it is plain bullshit.
They needed more time to have personal meeting to come to a settlement n BS the whole nation.
Uncle Kit,
PLs tell PSCI to come down hard on Zakaria first before we can even talk about this fella (DG of ACA) who to us is a bigger fish. The fish of all fish.
At the end of the day, the most important thing for you to do, Uncle Lim, is to boot out the BN government.
Period.
I’m sure that you’ll find a groundswell of support from the electorate in your mission.
The cancellation of the PSCI meeting this coming Monday was not totally unexpected. With a banana-backbone Prime Minister at the helm, such an extraordinary happening is not the least surprising. Fellow Malaysians, do you still want to give the BN a resounding victory again the next round? Do they deserved another chance after what you have seen especially these past two weeks? Most of all, we must ensure that all the known corrupted crooks in the present Cabinet be given the boot. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see these parasites publicly disgraced. But then, the word ‘shame’ has ceased to exist in their vocabulary long ago!
The fish of all fish is the one who stop this meeting from going on. Who is this guy? Badawi? Is this the UMNO or BN ways of handling corruption cases, behind closed door? Do you really think we have a parlimentary system in Malaysia and justice will be done to those crooks? This is Malaysia and Malaysia belongs to UMNO, as long as you are UMNO people you will be safe. We already know what is the PM reasons for not asking the clowns to go on leave, for that matter, if there were allegations towards every single minister in the cabinet, our cabinet minister will be on holiday for the longest time, for a while I thought, why not? they are crap anyway…
Everything is based on “ikut suka aku” in bolehland. Oops, not me, should be “ikut suka maharaja besar”.
Haha, I like the point that the cancellation was told to the media BEFORE the MPs. This only means that for such a case, the reputation of the accussed lies with the media and its mass audience, and not with a few MPs.
YB LKS wrote: ” This must be the first time in the history of Parliamentary Select Committees not only in Malaysia but in the Commonwealth where the media are given earlier notice than the MPs concerned of the cancellation of a Select Committee meeting.”
BN MPs do not respect or abide by Parliamentary conventions!
BN MPs have no respect for Parliament or its Committees (except those that serve its purposes!
Parliament under the BN majority is subservient to the Executive.
BN MPs betray the country by being involved in corruption and/or condoning corruption.
BN must go in the next GE!
This is pure bullshit.Sorry for the language. It is just sweeping things under the carpet. Maybe they want the feel good factor to continue and Zam wants media to write positive things. This is what happens when the leader is sleeping on the job and cakap tak serupa bikin!!!
Hidup pak Lah!!! Malaysia…tak apa lah..kan Perth ada! Nais kandar pun ada ;)
My feeling has always been that the best the Opposition could hope if the GE were held tomorrow, is a reduced majority now held by the ruling coalition – the loss of its 2/3 majority, at best.
I would like to make a slight revision to that: there is a real likelihood of the ruling coalition losing control of Parliament.
We should welcome their continued refusal to provide transparency, their refusal to check corruption and their arrogant use of executive power. Their refusal to reverse or change course now serves only to guarantee their eventual demise.
Let’s face it. Every BN politician, Minister, MP etc have all sold their souls to the will of the leadership and have to follow their bidding. They, as individuals, no longer have any say but to be yes-men and kowtow to what has already been decided for them. There is no longer any pride, honour or principles, merely to be zombies and go through the motions. Parliament is merely a circus arena.
Do Opposition MPs have to be in the committees to be made use of?
The most ideal and impartial person to chair this committee is Mr KIT !
These are the common tactics of UMNO, “Playing with Time”. I am sure they must have thought of this strategy to avoid defacing UMNO and the best way is to cancel the inquires and let time fade away this embarrassing episode.
As one can clearly see, they are not only not determine to eliminate corruption but indirectly promoting corruption by the way they are handling this issue.
In todays’ 8pm news , you can see the ACA chief happily and smilingly riding in a jeep inspecting the guard of honours,putting on a show as though nothing is happening. This thing will only happen in this bolehland that is acutely corrupted.
Obviously many good Malaysians will be very frustrated over the way things are handled as you and me and many good Malaysians can see properly and all these while the fight against corruption is only rhetoric and completely no substance.
Three cheers (for UMNO) and many more tears (for the rakyat).
Sorry, off topic. But very intriguing…”My friends often find flies and maggots in their food. What is worse, the food always arrives late…”
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Thursday/National/20070308094027/Article/index_html
YB Kit,
PSCI’s chairperson Bernard Dompok has called off PSCI’s scheduled meeting based on alleged latest developments ie (a) Mohd Ramli filed a suit and (b) investigations of Zulkipli handled by task force involving police and the Attorney-General’s Chamber – http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/64278
There is no advantage in pursuing the course of challenging Bernard’s decision to cancel. Argument of defective and short notice of cancellation made unilaterally by chairperson is mere procedural, not going to substance. BN is represented by 8 out of 10 members in PSCI and, as matter of procedure, will outvote you. Whether or not Bernard “buckled down to ulterior and improper pressures†to unilaterally cancel PSCI meeting is a point cannot be proven but he has, instead, a valid point of substance that the PSCI should not duplicate investigation into issues already covered in (a) for reasons of possible sub judice and (b) above, for lack of investigative resources as compared to the task force.
Instead, you may however consider changing track and focus on frame of reference of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) scheduled to meet on March 12, but now cancelled.
Existing frame of reference of PSCI is too narrow – to hear “whistleblower†Mohd Ramli’s allegations against ACA DG Zulkipli and Zulkipli’s defence which is now a subject of imminent court case…
I think PSCI should transcend and rise above to address wider and broader issues on integrity versus corruption.
This is where you should bring in the issues raised in your earlier blog thread (‘Combat corruption – last opportunity for Abdullah to prove he means business’) and integrate these issues within the new frame of reference that PSCI should and will enquire into.
The basis for the PSCI to do so is grounded upon the following points and justifications: –
1. Investigations of allegations relating to ACA DG Zulkipli and Deputy Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum should be viewed and dealt by PSCI together as an intregral whole of the problem of Corruption.
2. For so long as each is allowed to remain at the helm of their respective agencies without being made to take leave of absence pending conclusion of investigations – the fact that theoretically each could still exert influence over their respective agencies – ‘taint’ the independence and impartiality of the cross-investigations conducted by each agency on the other’s head, as a matter of public perception. There will always remain public suspicions, whether justified or otherwise, of the risks of each scratching the other’s back in mutual exoneration, quid pro quo. That such an arrangement is allowed to stand makes farcical the so-called war against corruption and raises serious question whether there is real commitment and political will from the top to combat it.
3. Yet something has to be done because of the seriousness of the allegations raised in these two cases. The allegations do not just relate to ordinary bribe taking that, if true, belong to the genre of corruption that debilitates and distorts the economy by way of misallocating its resources and deterring foreign investors. The allegations, if true, pertain to involvement of organized crime and top triad gangsters being let loose which pose an immediate threat to safety of our society, especially in such times of rising crime statistics and surging crime wave!
4. Against this back drop, if it were the top executive decision that the investigations mentioned in 2. above are allowed to proceed, and if these proceedings, no matter how ‘farcical’, are an executive decision and prerogative that is incontrovertible and unchallengeable, then may I humbly suggest, that as a measure of check and balance within the limiting circumstances, the PSCI should be allowed to come in and play a new and revised oversight role to oversee the investigations by having the top honchos responsible for the cross investigations – the IGP representing the police and Deputy Director General – report to PSCI periodically and receive broad directions on how investigations may be conducted and proceed in a manner as to mitigate public concerns and suspicions.
5. Related to corruption, the PSCI should bear in mind that allegations of corruption involving high officials are not limited to only cases of proving receipt of gratification and bribes. Unless there is entrapment and marked notes or willing witnesses un-cowered by gangsters, this kind of direct evidence can never be procured. What suffices, as is the case in most instances is where the accusation cannot be supported by direct evidence of any illegal gain to the decision-maker but it is a matter of reasonable inference of corrupt motive for a certain decision that had been made outside known and defined parameters normally operating for such executive decision making. Then there is a case where although there is no direct evidence of receipt of any illegal gain, there is however evidence of possession of disproportionate assets by an official that cannot be explained against his lawful income earned. In all these cases of circumstantial evidence, the PSCI should recommend immediate dismissal of the public official, even if prosecution under Prevention of Corruption Act is not sustainable by law or other reasons….
6. This implies changing the terms of reference of PSCI to accommodate scope of enquiry as outlined in 4. and 5. above and persuading Bernard Dompok on the coming Monday to agree to it.
In 2004, we gave him the benefit of the doubt. Now in 2007, it’s time we give him the benefit of the boot
http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/newsncom.php?itemid=2902
k1980 Says:
“March 9th, 2007 at 8:00 am
Sorry, off topic. But very intriguing…â€ÂMy friends often find flies and maggots in their food. What is worse, the food always arrives late…â€Â
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Thursday/National/20070308094027/Article/index_html”
The NS is pure unmitigated bullshit! Pure and simple.
It’s a bullshit of an idea sparked by some ‘cronies’ to rip off the government.
If the government is serious, they should have postponed the implementation until the proper infrastructure is in place, Trainers are trained and the training programs are thoughtfully and meticulously drawn up.
Now it’s a hotch-potch of infantilism and play! Can’t see how these are able to contribute to nation-building or preparedness of any kind! This project is just another of Najib’s ‘cerebral palsied’ babies that consistently turn up in every Ministry he goes! This guy is jinxed. How can we let him be the next PM.
Najib must go. PAk LAh must go. BN must go!
I forget to mention that the alternative to PSCI for the exercise of ‘oversight’ function over the lead investigating team (whether task force or Deputy DG of ACA) could be an independent Commission of enquiry if Royal commission is ‘no no’ to the top.
The rationale underpinning the imperative of an oversight body is to counter legitimate public suspicion and allegation that the entire arrangement of one ‘tainted’ body investigating another and vice versa is farcical, blonging for to the theatre of comic dramas than the serious running of the ship of state to countenance the tsunami of Corruption that has surged!
Typo error : “blonging for” should be “belonging to”.
Also assume (rightly or wrongly) a distinction exists between Royal commission and an ordinary commission. Whether or not there’s distinction, I am not too sure. But what I am sure is that there ought to exist a body that can ‘check and balance’ and oversee the cross investigations by the relevant agencies by reason of the peculiar and exceptional circumstances that have arisen of their respective heads being simultaneously implicated by allegations.
As I said before, only a wonderful constructive crtic like yourself would give this PM a last chance to proof himself.
My advise to the opposition is to gather all email/socialnetworking accounts of Malaysian and just mass email the issue out. Its time to go on the offensive and take down these leeches.
I am wondering what is going to happen now they arrest back those ‘tai-ko’? I don’t think they will take it lying down. They already took the money, their ma-chais should be kept informed of the betrayal to their tai-kos..
Once again its Creditbility and integrity. As Jeffery says if you are not serious, its a merry go round, an opera for the public. But if you are serious, at least show you have the will, and find the way or die trying to,Abdullah. SAMA SAMA.
Deputy Minister refund the RM$$$ purportedl paid back to the tai-kos….?
The ma-chais, I dare to guess, are also at the mercy of their local turf protectors from the various agencies, that’s why I believe the taikos and machai network will just have to grit their teeth, and bang balls. Is this what the cultivation of Mat Rempits were originally designed for, I wonder.
All these are expected in this Bolehland. Unless they can give a good and valid explanations which the government owes the public, we will and you cannot blame us of having the impression that this is a deliberate attempt to cover up. Juts play with time and time will “heals” all those wrongdoings of of those in their posse. They had successfully done this time and again and I believe they will be no failure again this time. We can just grind our teeth, clasp our fist and see them voted in again.
In this land where racial discrimination is bread and butter to them, most Malays will not mind all these and will keep on voting for them until doomsday.
The only way I can see to solve all these malaise is to take them to the World Court to fight in making them shed the discriminatory policies. When everything is equal, then we can talk of booting them out or at least deprive them the 2/3 majority. NO two ways about it. It is not the people that are stupid to vote them in but it is the sytem which gives them heavy benefit on the law of leverages, via the discriminatory policies and together with their advantages of manipulating the election commission, gerrymandering and control of the media and probably the judiciary, they are just formidable.
Look into the possibilities of taking that step, otherwise Uncle Kit , how much you write or we write or shout is not going to make a difference. Our good man Nadeswaran of the SUN had written much more and read by many more but the end result is the same. The little bit of difference is that when it is too hot they will retreat into their cocoon and wait for right time to come out again to commit wrongs with greater impunity.