The Prime Minister and the UMNO Disciplinary Board Chairman are wrong and the Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) right on whether money politics and vote buying in Umno come within the jurisdiction of the MACC.
The UMNO disciplinary board chairman Tan Sri Tengku Ahmad Rithaudeen so despaired at the rot of corruption in Umno that he even suggested the abolition the Umno wings – Youth, Wanita, Putri and Putra – as a radical surgical solution but he refused to recognize MACC’s powers, responsibilities and jurisdiction over these cases, claiming that the Umno disciplinary board is not a “forwarding agency” for the MACC.
Rithaudeen said investigations by the MACC and the Umno disciplinary board would be done separately and any information-sharing would be done on a case-by-case basis.
Rithaudeen’s position has been upheld by the Umno President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after the Umno Supreme Council meeting last night.
New Straits Times today reported:
Asked whether investigations into money politics came under the disciplinary committee or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, he said the issue fell under the committee’s jurisdiction.
Earlier yesterday, the MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan had given a completely different take on the MACC’s powers, responsibilities and jurisdiction when he declared that “the MACC is going after vote-buying in Umno, whether the party likes it or not”, as to the MACC, “money politics simply means corruption”.
Ahmad Said said while the Umno disciplinary board could conduct its own probe into alleged graft, the commission would also step in.
He said: “We will conduct our own investigations even if he disciplinary board is looking into the case. Never mind if the investigations overlap, we will still have still to be there.”
Ahmad Said cannot be more right. In fact, the Chief Commissioner and the MACC would be remiss in their duties to eradicate corruption if they stood by the sidelines and are not actively engaged in rooting out money politics in Umno.
Rithaudeen is wrong when he said that the Umno disciplinary board is not a “forwarding agency” for the MACC, as he would be guilty of withholding information on the serious crime of corruption to the MACC.
Furthermore, under Section 47 on “Legal Obligation to give information” and Section 48 on “Obstruction of investigation and search”, every person including the Umno disciplinary board chairman is required to give information on any subject which it is the duty of the MACC to inquire into under the law and which is in that person’s power to give.
Rithaudeen will be committing an offence if he refuses to give any such information such as about the 900 complaints of Umno money politics received by the Umno disciplinary board or obstructs any MACC investigation, an offence punishable with RM10,000 fine, two years’ jail or both.
The MACC and its Chief Commissioner are now facing their first biggest test of their independence, autonomy and professionalism – whether they dare to stand up by the powers and responsibilities vested in them by the MACC Act passed by Parliament last month or whether they will kowtow to the wishes of the Umno leadership, now that the Prime Minister and Umno President as well as the Umno Supreme Council seem to have succumbed to pressures manifested by the unprecedented demonstration by Umno members against the MACC outside UMNO headquarters before the Umno Supreme Council meeting last night.
Dare Ahmad Said tell the Prime Minister and Rithaudeen that they are wrong in claiming that the MACC has no powers to investigate into the 900 complaints of money politics in Umno, and that Rithaudeen risks being charged with an offence liable to RM10,000 fine, two years jail or both if he refuses to furnish all available information to the MACC about the 900 complaints about Umno money politics?
The ship “UMNO” doesn’t have the bearing, INTEGRITY! , its floating on vats of bank notes, which is soaking heavy. Better the last remaining rats too jump ship. Its crumpling ! http://sjsandteam.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/ustaz-sacked-because-of-saiful-the-ass/
But Syed Hamid said no one is above the law.
How can UMNO is above the law? Is it Do as I say and don’t do as i do.
Just like the most famous quote from Hawaii 5-O, Ahmad Said should emulate Steve McGarrett’s ‘Book ’em, Danno, Corruption Degree # One!”
Any political party…members will hang their heads low with shame…but not UMNO.
We have lived with these rouges far too long.
Don’t you know these UMNO guys have been given IMMUNIZATION shots against any action taken against them? They ARE above the law!!!!
Malaysian should learned from the Vietnamese Government. Most of my Malaysian Friends objected to the frequent changing of the laws, rules and regulations by the Vietnamese Government. Being a Malaysian who is now residing in Vietnam, I commented that I hope the Vietanmese Government change daily because for the past 20 years of my stay in Vietnam I have not come across any laws, rules and regulations passed by the Vietnamese Government that does not show an improvement……..Shame on the Malaysian Government!!!!!
What happened to the issue of “Non Compliance” of asset declaration of elected representatives before taking office? Or is this no longer an issue?
Perhaps the MACC should look into this matter!
abdullah this very pious and “religious” person
sickens me. he is a disgusting incompetent person
not fit at all for the current position in government he
holds. he must be down right stupid if he doesn’t know
that corruption is not “just” a matter that “only”
comes under some damn umno comittee. given that
a whole buch of stupid, lazy, greedy, selfish and
plain wicked “leaders of the country” seem to be coming
from that group of riff raff known as unmo it is obvious that
corruption affects the whole bloody country and as
such the macc should be investigating.
of course we are also not sure whether or not abdullah
is so squeky clean lah. he may in fact be damn filthy.
as indeed possibly most of umno members lah.
UMNO is really in a state of confusion/implosion.
PM Abdullah’s MACC does the trick. It is trite that money politics is corruption, whether by MACC or any other anti-corruption legislation anywhere in the world. It is not a special species of corruption within purview only of the political party’ disciplinary board, as Board chairman Tan Sri Tengku Rithauddeen will have it, and which enjoys special immunity from the reach of the anti-corruption law! To assert otherwise on a flimsy excuse that the Discciplinary Board is not a “forwarding agency” for the MACC makes a mockery of the anti corruption stance that Abdullah’s administration wants to take credit for.
Yet it is also true that money politics has seeped so much into political culture of the ruling political party that it has become the “glue” that holds the whole fabric of the party together. This means if the MACC dissolves that glue, the party in its present form/practices, will unravel. One does not even need Anwar’s canvassing of political defections to do the trick!
It has only now dawned amongst rank and file this revelation. No wonder party grassroots are incensed. The MalaysianInsider reported on 30th Jan of a demonstration by some 30 Youth and Putera members with placards “Return the rights of Umno Members! Do not stifle Umno members’ Freedom of Speech! Abolish the MACC”, calling for both the abolition of the MACC and the resignation of disciplinary board chairman Rithauddeen. “One member of the group even accused Abdullah of being cowardly and spineless when he shouted “Pak Lah bacul!” The group also handed a memorandum to the party leadership protesting the MACC’s involvement in their internal party affairs.
It is a little too late isn’t it for regrets after an attempt, in wake of 308 electoral debacle, to put up a façade of being anti corruption with the MACC to impress detractors otherwise?
Look at the various options: Given that money politics is corruption within MACC purview as admitted by the MACC Chief Commissioner, the MACC Chief Commissioner will have to call for the 900 complaints of Umno money politics from Rithauddeen.
If the MACC Chief Commissioner defers to the PM’s opinion that issue of money politics “fell under the disciplinary committee’s jurisdiction” then it will give immediate credence to earlier claims of civil society, opposition and other stakeholders that the MACC is not an independent body from the PM.
If the MACC Chief Commissioner claims it is independent and yet desists from calling for the 900 complaints of Umno money politics from Rithauddeen, then he will have to admit that he is derelicting in his duties under MACC Act, even at the incipient time of MACC establishment.
So the MACC Chief Commissioner will have to call for these files, and if he does so, Rithauddeen will have to supply the information or otherwise held to have committed an offence in contravention of sections 47 and 48 of the MACC!
However if Rithauddeen were to supply the information to MACC, he would open the pandora box for all UMNO rank and file belonging to different factions vying for various positions to lodge corruption reports against one other, throwing the entire party into disarray and confusion.
If the party bigwigs backtrack on the MACC and try to keep lid on money politics and sweep it under the carpet, their popularity with the electorate, already dented severely as evinced by 308 GE & PP 929 and KT 117 by-elections will nose-dive presenting a prospect of being routed in the next GE which Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would want to hold as soon as possible to endorse his own premeirship.
From the above, it looks like the dominant party of BN is in a quandary running out of viable options, short of devising an excuse to launch another Operation Lallang, which by itself is also not that vaible in light of existing conditions much changed from the last massive crackdown.
To compound the problem it does not have credible leader who has evinced a strategic capability, intellect and vision combined with strength and force of personality, who at the same time could galvanise all round popular support transcending factionalism, to tackle its problems and resolve these intractable dilemmas.
Susah lah ini macam! :)
I very much felt that this MACC is created to prosecute those the top guns dislike. Abdullah himself was lodged against corruption by giving away posts in return for the UMNO election support. Where is the investigation and results of investigation??
UMNO vs MACC ? Who is daft enough to wager that MACC will win the battle ?
Jeffrey, you have confused them enough with your “on the one hand it is this, and on the other hand it is that” routine.
Can you remove the spots from a leopard?
Can you remove the stripes from a zebra?
Can you remove corruption from UMNO?
Corruption and UMNO is one inseparable entity. This animal must be put to sleep.
Yes, agree that MACC must do their job.
But do it professionally and not like a barbarian when conducting investigation.
Hopefully, the syndrome and the attitude that killed A Kugan is not organic with MACC. If claimed by the UMNO guy is true then YB Kit, what hope do we have as a citizen and who will protect us from such abuse of power. Now, we can’t trust the PDRM, MACC and the politicians. OHhh…my GOD!!!
“Jeffrey, you have confused them enough with your “on the one hand it is this, and on the other hand it is that” routine.” – Godfather
With all due respect, I do not think it is Jeffrey’s examining both sides of the issue that is confusing UMNO. They are highly capable of confusing themselves via their arrogance. Throwing more facts at them as Jeffrey is doing is not going to help. I can just imagine Syed Hamid telling Jeffrey to “Stop confusing me with facts.” :-)
MACC or ACA and Police are UMNO instruments. Police were busy investigating whoever UMNO wanted to investigate through making a police report. Police also chose not to investigate when there were SDs or police report even on cases involving murder. So MACC can avail itself of any number of reports from UMNO, and they will know to prosecute only those that UMNO could have settled itself, but UMNO prefers to have them handled by MACC.
LBJ Says:
But Syed Hamid said no one is above the law.
=================================
Ah but UMNOites aren’t just anyone – they are “Tuans” – Lord over everyone and everything in Malaysia.
Mr Smith Says:
Can you remove the spots from a leopard?
Can you remove the stripes from a zebra?
Can you remove corruption from UMNO?
Corruption and UMNO is one inseparable entity. This animal must be put to sleep.
=========================
So what if UMNO is put to sleep? The maggots that make up this putrid being called UMNO will just move on to PR or any other party, patiently grow its roots and breed its rot again. Systematic corruption in Malaysia is borne of the NEP and ketuanan.
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Jeffrey deals too much in hypotheticals. The reader is in constant danger of tying himself or herself up in knots – and having his head stuck up in his own ass, if he is not careful. Godfather has learned this from his own experience!
This argument over jurisdiction is like arguing over what to do while the ship is sinking. The problem is so over the top now its highly doubtful the ship can be saved at all…
Seriously, destruction of UMNO would be cathartic and creatively the best thing for the Malays and this country.
A group of people turned up to protest against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for arresting Umno members, and against the party’s disciplinary board.
Claiming to be Umno members, they turned up at about 8pm Thursday at the main entrance to Menara Datuk Onn, the building where party leaders were scheduled to hold a supreme council meeting.
They held up placards that read “The Disciplinary Board is senile,” “Don’t take away our rights” and “We reject the MACC, butt out!”
——-
“Don’t take away our rights”? What rights are they referring to? The right to practise corruption; the right to be immuned from the law; the right to run amok? And yet Badawi and Najib have succumbed to their demands as was evidenced by their later statements.
Now they are doing an à la Kugan’s number in order to gain sympathy and to tarnish the reputation of the MACC. If they can prove injuries similar to what Kugan suffered, then I am all for them. Until then, don’t try to hookwink the sympathatic heartstrings of Malaysians.
“Jeffrey deals too much in hypotheticals. The reader is in constant danger of tying himself or herself up in knots – and having his head stuck up in his own ass, if he is not careful. Godfather has learned this from his own experience!” – Undergrad2 (Today at 05: 53.00 (9 hours ago)
Godfather learning from his own experience of tying himself in knots and having his head stuck up in his own ass, if he is not careful, Undergrad2?
Thanks for the enlightening revelation.
Now I understand why if Godfather is tunneled vision, prone to judgmental dogmatism.
If he looks at issues along a single axis and is quite incapable of evaluating them along lines “on the one hand it is this, and on the other hand it is that” that he complains of me, it must be recollected in his defence that, in his unenviable situation, there is only one direction along that tunnel for his thought process to go – and even then, it would be quite impossible to see that far and wide up that tunnel or, alternatively (here’s the dilemma), get his swollen head out of it! LOL :)
it’s firmed that UMNO bigots above the LAWS…
the LAWS are drawn for fellows Malaysian but not UMNO…
if UMNO not Malaysian then mau balik mana…??? :-)