The newly-created Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) could not have a more disastrous beginning.
Instead of fulfilling its promise to be even better than Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), in just a matter of months of its operation MACC s is now regarded by Malaysians as even worse than the previous Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) it replaced.
The 42 MACC Panel members of the five oversight committees are all distinguished and honourable Malaysians, but they seem to have forgotten why they have been appointed as custodians of public confidence in the MACC.
Before MACC deviate even further from its statutory objectives and the 42 MACC members stray away from the raison d’etre for their existence and appointments, they should recall the injunction bestowed on them at the official launching of the MACC and the five MACC oversight committees by the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at a glittering ceremony at the Putra World Trade Centre on February 24, 2009 attended by about 2,000 guests including ministers, chief ministers, mentris besar, ambassadors as well as representatives from MACC counterparts from Fiji, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.
It would be most tragic if the MACC and the 42 Panel members of the five MACC oversight committees have very short memory and can only remember the grand launching ceremony but lost sight of Abdullah’s message.
To refresh the memory of MACC officers, as well as the 42 Panel members of the five MACC oversight committees, let me remind them of what Abdullah said – the important message was that they must ensure “that the MACC does not end up as just pretty window-dressing of its predecessor, the Anti-Corruption Agency”.
Abdullah admitted: “The government realises that the perception of the ACA as not being independent, of being a toothless tiger, of practising selective enforcement, being late in taking action and not being professional in its investigations has damaged its image and credibility.”
Abdullah said the MACC would raise the hopes and expectations of the public for a more effective and transparent anti-corruption enforcement body.
He said the MACC must be able to stand up to scrutiny and that the government’s moves to improve the structure and capacity of the enforcement body would not necessarily guarantee its success.
He said: “Much of the success or failure of the MACC will be due to the conduct of its officers in carrying out their duties.
“While I have always stressed the importance of the MACC in carrying out its duties without fear or favour, it is also paramount for the MACC to be, and seen to be, fair and professional in all its dealings.”
It was Abdullah’s hope that all the MaCC officers would always be beyond reproach, both in the professional as well as their personal capacities.
The MACC officers and the 42 Panel Members of the five MACC oversight committees should search their conscience why they have failed so miserably in their tasks when Abdullah’s launching ceremony in February was meant to mark “the beginning of a very important chapter in Malaysia’s agenda to strengthen integrity and fight corruption”.
As a result, MACC is now facing an even worse crisis of confidence than that ever faced by the ACA in its 41 years of existence from 1967 to 2008.
The 42 Panel members of the five MACC oversight committees should convene emergency meetings to address the MACC’s grave crisis of confidence, zeroing in particular on the following issues:
- The failure of MACC to demonstrate that it is more effective, independent and professional in its anti-corruption task, especially in its failure to produce any significant results in the major scandals which had created waves in the country in the past few months, in particular the worst Umno money politics in Umno history, the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal and the various mega-scandals involving Barisan Nasional leaders;
- The mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock at MACC headquarters on July 16, 2009 and the anonymous letter which surfaced during Teoh’s inquest purportedly written by MACC officers containing serious allegations including collusion between a Barisan Nasional leader and a top ranking Selangor MACC officer;
- MACC’s all-out war against Pakatan Rakyat instead of an all-out war against corruption; and
- The failure of MACC to match Abdullah’s expectations and even worse, plunging to a worse crisis of confidence than at anytime experienced by ACA in its 41-year history.
In his February speech, Abdullah specifically entrusted the 42 members of the five MACC advisory committees “to use their powers to uphold truth and justice and weed out corruption”.
Have the 42 MACC Panel members discharged their duties to the MACC and to the nation in the past few months?
Why don’t someone interview all the 42 Panel Members to get their views on what happened with TBH? That would be a great start …
SpeakUp – In eagerness of being a black CT, exposes more than stupidity, also what Umno thinks of TBH death.
“a great start”
What is the point of what the Panel Members views of what HAPPENED to TBH? Where they there? Where they involved?
What happened to TBH should have been the matter that be dealt with by a Royal Commission of Inquiry.
carboncopy … I only meant that it would be nice to know what the 42 good upstanding men have to say, not that what they say will be better than having a RCI looking into the death.
RCI for TBH death? Hahahahaa … over PM’s dead body. They will not have the guts BUT in any event, RCI is ‘useless’. Their findings are only good for public opinion at the most. RCI only gives its findings and proposes certain things. BN being the way they are will not bother. Remember RCI for LingamGate? Where are we today with it?
“….“to use their powers to uphold truth and justice and weed out corruption”…..”. Sounds like the voice over from “Superman” movies.
The ideal is there but getting there is a bit of a chore. They are all waiting for someone, anyone, to give them their scripts and game-plans as they don’t really know what to do. They can’t lead.
You want to drag them out of their comfy retirement “jobs” and actually do some “work”? They are supposed to only show up for meetings and say “semua-nya OK” or “setuju”. And then head off for their 18 holes or whatever they do to maintain their sanity.
Many of them have impressive credentials but scratch it a bit, you will find its all words but really no substance there. Just like many Datukships and Tan Sriships. Or bogus Ph Ds like what The Star reveals today. (Imagine a top Chinese academic who can barely speak English obtaining an Australian University Ph D. And he has two other bogus ones too.).
But we all declare “1Malaysia Boleh”. In Bolehland, everything starts to rot big time after the initial “big-bang” launchings. Its a tradition.
Hi Speakup,good suggestion but these 42 guys be willing to be interviewed ? By the way who are all these panel members ? Are they bad ,not so bad,50/50 ,good or pretty good guys ? Now commenting what AAB had dreamed about the new role of the reborn ACA,now called MACC. I say to you all guys,he’s been having bad dream after bad dream every nite and should his nightmare continued to haunt him,it would be “boh liao” for him but good for his SIL who would accumulate more and more,you guys know what,to target the party # one and eventually to achieve the position,you guys know.The other guy,sorry what’s his name,the motor bike rider would continue behind the scence directing the DD of the MACC to do whatever it takes to destroy PR so that he and wife would ride together again with all his “maichai” the so called mat rempit.Well you guys have a nice day.
frankyapp … remember when AAB came in, Mr Clean. Amazing Foreign Minister, heal the Malays, heal the nation. Result in GE11, ASTOUNDING! Final results: K@NTOI!!!
Five MACC oversight committees? Why not 50?
Me think if MACC reports to whoever is the Opposition Leader in Parliament, that is good enough. And don’t always think that Opposition Leader is PR. It could well be BN itself after the next general election.
Corruption is very hard to curb. Human beings are by nature greedy and easily tempted… even women show their ugliness in the face of temptations, especially these days.
Now, if I were Prime Minister, I would readily hand over the Anti-Corruption Department and the Public Accounts Committee to the Opposition. Makes my work less headache and keeps me on my toe too, lest I myself be tempted as well.
ekompute … so if any 5crew up its not your fault right? Heheheheehehee … any country done that? But what if the Opposition were corrupt? Hahahahaaa … I mean if BN were the opposition, how to hand over to them? :0P
Dear Uncle kit,
Even Ah Long know how to decide which loan collection to go after first. Priority!
http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/2009/08/ah-longs-debt-collection.html
Just for a good laugh
Shiok Guy
There is no sincerity here in Malaysian politics.
If our PM is sincere in governing the country, MACC should have been under the jurisdiction of our Cabinet, NOT under the PM.
If the Malaysian politicians want transparency, they will not reject setting up of independence body overseeing the police force.
If they are sincere in serving the country, we will not have all these messes right now after 51 years.
Who will suffer in the long run, when natural resources run dry? The whole country will! Ironically the Malay majority will suffer in the end. So please wake up now! See around you what is happening. You the misled majority can correct this mess, not the enlightened minority.
This is because the enlightened minority will look for a better pasture elsewhere with all the freedom to fulfil its human potential.
If we continue like this we will end up a failed state and a pariah country.
When even the human resources are deprived of its opportunity, the country will be doomed.
The majority has to vote BN out if the country is to be saved.
This problem will not stop until everyone is clean and honest. I don’t think there will ever be a cabinet that has 100% clean and honest people sitting in it so this will be a lifelong battle. Its a shame that we live in this type of society.
Hi SpeakUp, I think I did say in a previous post that no country has done that because humans are humans. Those who get elected will never want that because they want to see where got lubang to dig. As for me, I have my bags packed (nothing much to carry anyway, just a few books, LOL) and am ready to leave this world at a moment’s notice, that’s why my thinking is so different, LOL.
Ooophhs SpeakUp, I didn’t answer your questions fully: “What if the Opposition were corrupt?” and “if BN were the opposition, how to hand over to them?”
Well, if BN is content to remain Opposition, that is one possibility that cannot be denied. My basic assumption is that this is unlikely to be the case. Anyway, my system is not foolproof but at least, it is more effective than any current arrangement.
For all you know, if any party were to get a 90.4% landslide victory, they might just split their party into two so that one part becomes the “Opposition” in order to take over the role of “checking” themselves. Now, now… we are getting a bit too far… entering into the realm of sci-fi fantasy, LOL.
ekompute … you get to pack a bag? How come? Where did you get to have such a nice deal? :0)
I think living is not that great a deal, we come and we go, maybe some cling on so badly that they need to stock up like mad. Hence, corruption? Hehehehee …
Maybe they are waiting for permission from MACC to hold a meeting.
//….be nice to know what the 42 good upstanding men have to say, ….//
Good standing men overseeing MACC?
There is no need to look far and wide; does S!ngapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CP!B) have any panel overseeing the job of that department? Do they have colourful uniform with stars on their shoulders? We are just full of pomps. I have a theory: the degree of “third world-ness” is directly proportionate to the amount of pomps. Trust me it works. See our opening ceremonies – the laser lights beaming everywhere, s*xly girls standing beside VIPs, screens and curtains falling and raising, and salutation longer than the substance of the speech.
I have another theory: the degree of stupidity is directly proportionate to the “loud-mouth-ness”. Test this out on one of the blogger here, you will never be disappointed.
The 42 members of the five MACC advisory committees are not actively involved in overseeing and scrutinizing the running of the MACC, can it be that they are under pressure from UMNO warlords to keep low key on the tasks assigned to them?
MACC is political minded in favor of UMNO.
As long as you have civil servants..like some judges and police officers….being political minded…and favoring UMNO…you can never get fairness from them.
So many actions have been proven unfair and unjust.
Not one incident is solved without a court case.
RM10 given to one…..the taker is taking the giver to court….saying no such thing. That is the art to deny and if ever UMNO wins 13th GE…OTK is a free man.
If you judge every-day’s actions by BN…it is saying how clean the are…yet well known to be corrupted to the core…be it UMNO or BN..all in the same boat.
All heads of the Civil Service are appointed by UMNO and they are not only beholden to UMNO, they also serve at UMNO’s pleasure. Is it any surprise, therefore, that MACC is politically minded?
That is the reason why I just registered as a voter, LOL. Okay, okay… guilty as found. I have never been political because I was brought up to believe that “who becomes gomen also the same.” But things have gotten not a bit too far… but a lot, a lot too far.
I don’t care what PR does. I would vote even a monkey if PR puts one up as a candidate. Let them come in and go through all the so-called “official secrets” and documents. And if we need to set up open-air prisons (or do they call it gaols?), then just do it!
And if I have any leadership capabilities, I will set up an MLM NGO to recruit members to become the Third Force to ensure democracy in this country. If each person spread the word to 6 persons and the 6 persons spread the word to another 6 persons each, UMNO don’t die also die, LOL. And the organization must be non-partisan in order to be the Third Force. So if Anwar revert to his old ways after he become Prime Minister, the Third Force would also attack him like a shark, LOL.
Mahathir said, “Melayu mudah lupa”
Someone claim MACC is a Malay institution.
see the connection?
I sincerely hope MACC can function properly as what Badawi has promised since it was during his last days as PM, the Act was rushed through
A MACC that does what it is set up and paid to do will do the nation a great service but unfortunately it has started all wrong.
Badawi is still a Wakil Rakyat and Member of Parliament. He is not suppose to have retired and bet4ray the vote of the people. He should voice out his opinion. I would like to heat what he has to say as whether what he has created, is materializing into what he envisaged. Failing that, he has betrayed his pledge to the people when he first pushed through the bill
Yeah, it is really a problem if MACC over 95% staff are Malay, it will be cultivated into racial institution caused of inbalance Malaysian multi-racial culture.
The inbalance of muti-races workforce are the main core problem in MACC.
Hahaha… a good plot for a thriller novel. MACC was given more teeth so that it could become effective (not “more effective” because it was never effective, LOL) in carrying out its duties but it transformed itself into a green-eyed monster instead. A fairy tale gone awry.
Badawi? Errrr…. is it any wonder where he got the first three letters of that part of his name from? MACC was transformed from the same mold as Badawi, another fairy tale turn awry, hehehe.
What race also no use. If I hold a gun and you guys have only a knife, come laaaa…. one hundred also I no scared. Oppphs, how many bullets does a gun have, LOL.
I would supposed that an MACC manned by 95% Malays would be a God-sent. Aren’t they pious, God-fearing Muslims who pray five times a day and always imagined that others are insulting Islam? But looking at the way they are behaving, they are a real insult to Islam. To me, they look more like triad members involved in drug and human trafficking, and need it be said, murders.
Sorry to sidetrack.
Even Hee Yit Fong, the State Assemblywoman who had been with DAP for 20 years, crossed over for money. She has thus far received RM15 million from Vincent Tan of Berjaya fame. She will probably be paid another RM10 million once the dust settles. It seems she needed the money to bail out her husband who was heavily in debt. This was the same situation with Lee Lam Thye who was forced to leave DAP so that he could bail out his wife from her gambling debts. Barisan Nasional, of course, helped settle all his wife’s debts once he ‘abandoned his cause’ and turned pro-establishment.
http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/25998/84/
Its getting so tiring … same old nonsense. Looks like PR Kedah is now going to face a real crisis soon:
http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/25993/84/
Will PR Kedah lose the confidence of the people? Rumours are that money can buy more than things, it even buys loyalty.
RPK said that RM100 million has been allocated for buying PR state assemblymen of Kedah! RM100 million is not a small amount. Can PR State Assemblymen resist the temptation?
If some of them cannot resist the temptation, then PR really needs a party purge campaign in order to cleanse up the greedy opportunists!
Onlooker … the kepala is useless you think the down liners will be good? PRK has shown MANY times over, that its a real liability. Some more people want to tell me I am wrong about DSAI. Hah!!!
Saying RM20M is a real temptation is pure BS. If that were the case then they will offer LGE RM100M issit?
It seems that PKR has to carry the generational sins which have been passed down to PKR from Umno through ex-Umno members. It seems that only the younger generations of PKR members will be set free from the retribution of the generational sins! Pakatan Rakyat will not totally lose its hope if PKR can start a reform by giving much more chances to its second echelon leaders to appear more often in the public. I don’t mind to have Nurul Izzah serving as the Menteri Besar of Selangor if she can really gain full support from her party grassroots!
“This was the same situation with Lee Lam Thye who was forced to leave DAP so that he could bail out his wife from her gambling debts.” (RPK)
If Lee Lam Thye could explain to the voters of Kuala Lumpur about his situation back to many years’ ago, I believe Kuala Lumpur voters would still vote Lee in as a Member of Parliament so long as he still contested under the ticket of DAP. What a big waste of Lee Lam Thye’s talent when he was just contented to become an anti-narcotic hero under the umbrella of Barisan Nasional for the past many years!!! Lee Lam Thye should have repented over his quiting DAP by now!
“I don’t mind to have Nurul Izzah serving as the Menteri Besar of Selangor if she can really gain full support from her party grassroots!”
Another small girl … father is working from behind this one as Tok Dalang. She got the votes because of party ticket only. Is she really qualified on real issues?
Hee Yit Foong can never be made comparable to Lee Lam Thye. After quiting DAP, Lee Lam Thye acted gentlemanly by not critizing DAP without unfounded reasons. However, Hee Yit Foong is a typical rebellious fugitive. By looking at her behaviour during the removal of Perak Speaker V. Sivakumar, no one Malaysian of good conscience can really tolerate her ungrateful and betraying behaviour towards her ex-comrades.
If Hee’s main problem was just some personal problem in relation to her husband’s debt-ridden situation, then why must she act so calliously and insensitively towards her ex-comrades in DAP? I can hardly find a good reason for making a petition on behalf of Hee even if she starts to repent for being played out by Najib and wants to join back DAP!
“Is she really qualified on real issues?” (Speakup)
Speakup,
I think when talking about qualification, you and I may be much better qualified than Nurul Izzah in terms of academic attainment. But in politics, academic qualification does not make a big bonus in gaining popularity. Nurul Izzah is definitely much more popular than you and I in the eyes of majority Malaysians. I like her. And I believe the PKR fugitive Izam also likes her. I like her as a young brave girl who dares to fight against the might of the power-that-be in order to save her own father from the political persecution. She has demonstrated to all Malaysians a respectable moral value of carrying out the filial piety of a daughter dutifully and I believe such a good girl who is full of affectinate love to her own father will also be a good wife, a good mother, and a good politician who will take care of the interest of the common people!
“affectinate love” is mispelt. It should be “affectionate love”. I think most Malaysians would hope to have a good daughter like Nurul Izzah. Why did Speakup specifically suspect her qualification on real issues?
She took out a ‘keychain’ to fend off an attempted ‘sexual assault’ against her!!! Hahahahaahahahaa …
Onlooker … I am not asking about her academics qualifications, its probably light years ahead of me! Also, a good daughter etc etc does not make a person a good politician.
Why did I ask? Well its because of:
i. PKR has a lot of frogs (not that Nurul will do it, it shows selection process);
ii. PKR has ADUNs or MPs who are arrogant and sabotage other team players, Wee, Johari and Azmin come to mind (selection process issues);
iii. PKR has ADUNs or MPs who think through their ar5e, Zul Nordin comes to mind (selection process issues);
iv. PKS has an MP who got the position because he was sitting at a certain place with a camera and its rumoured he can hardly speak Malay (selection issues); and
v. PKR has a leader who is power crazy and has lied to the Rakyat on a few occasions, remember the 41 BN MPs who will be crossing & he says NO ENGLISH for schools? (lousy leader who makes lousy selections).
I wonder … I really do … its scary. The ‘victory’ of GE12 is kinda empty nowadays.
‘sexual assault’???
Somebody must have cried ‘wolf’ when there was no wolf at all!
Have DAP already started to source for the young talents as an early preparation for the next General Election? DAP cannot always rely its political survival on all the righteous yelling and outloud justice crying of YB Kit and Mr Karpal Singh! DAP needs third echelon young talents in order to assist LGE and Gobind Singh Deo in the continuity and on-going fulfillment of DAP’s noble political cause of Malaysian’s Malaysia.
I hope DAP can really take the lead and that their new young members really have integrity and the desire to serve the Rakyat.
Speakup,
All your complaints about PKR’s selection process may be valid. Perhaps we need to put all blames on the leader’s trying to grasp the power too hastily. After having served as a DPM for many years, the power which had been enjoyed by him might be a big temptation which might blind him in the decision-making process. However, I believe a political party can never go too far if it is sadly lack of adequate good leadership quality in its leadership team!
Singapore’s PAP usually has to go through about two years’ selection process before a young candidate has been zeroed in for selection as a potential MP representing PAP in Singapore’s parliament. Did PR component parties like DAP or PKR go through such kind of stringent selection process before a candidate has been selected to represent his/her respective party as contestant in the General Election? This is something which ponders my thought because I think it may be the decisive factor determining whether PR can take over the Federal Government by the next General Election or not!
“v. PKR has a leader who is power crazy and has lied to the Rakyat on a few occasions, remember the 41 BN MPs who will be crossing & he says NO ENGLISH for schools? (lousy leader who makes lousy selections).” (Speakup)
I met some Anwar’s ex-supporters in Umno. Most of them have now gathered around Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Many of them are well conversant in English. Some are having excellent academic qualification from the U.K., Australia, or New Zealand. Many of them will adopt the Language Policy as proposed by Dr. Mahathir. If Anwar tries to make some differences from Dr. Mahathir, he can just choose to adopt the people’s native language (mother tongue) as the media of instruction for teaching Science and Mathematics in primary school but still stick to the policy of adopting English as medium of instruction in these two subjects for secondary schools and higher schools, colleges and universities. Why did Anwar want to follow the stupid choice of Muhyiddin Yassin in switching all medium to Malay right from the primary, secondary schools throughout to the university level? Muhyiddin Yassin is only good in ruminant farming, pitaya fruit planting, state lands grant to the Umno supporters, positioning of his right-hand man in the important position of land office and security services departments! How much does Muhyiddin Yassin really know about education, besides religious education (for his father was a kadi)?
First of all, I personally think that switching to Malay for both Science and Mathematics is the right decision. The publishing of Malay books on Science and Mathematics has practically come to a standstill and it is not good for any language. Having said this, I think we have to tackle the English language problem head-on.
At present, teaching Science and Mathematics in English is like teaching the two subjects in Greek. The standard of English in Malaysia today is so pathetic. Just imagine if our axed Minister of Propaganda, Zainuddin Maidin, can say: “… you are trying to do this, to do it everywhere but in Malaysia, people are laugh you, you know,” what else can you expect from Malaysian students?
The Ministry of Education has to beef up the teaching of English as a language, period. Trying to make students learn English through Science and Mathematics is like putting the cart before the horse.
But that my opinion is the same as Anwar doesn’t mean that our basis for coming to the same conclusion is the same. Anwar is a racist since his early days. Even when he was Minister of Education, he did not invite non-Malay Malaysian students to the embassy each year when he went to Makati. Only Malay students were invited. Was he visiting the Philippines as a Malaysian Minister of Education or a Malay Minister of Education? You think his trip was paid by UMNO? Does this not prove his racist mentality? Yes, Anwar as a person, yakkkks. But vote him still, LOL. Can’t be worse than UMNO, since he comes from the same rubbish dump. We need a two-party system, period.
What crisis of confidence?
When this is happening, http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/26002/84/
A challenge to the Malaysian government to explain this
///What I am concerned with is the latest revelation of the Malaysian government purchasing millions of rounds of ammunition and tens of thousands of pistols, submachine guns and stun grenades. And this is the Malaysian government’s ‘shopping list’:
9mm pistols & accessories
9mm submachine guns & accessories
7.62mm sniper ammunition
9mm para subsonic ammunition
9mm para hollow point ammunition
Stun grenades One-Bang
Stun grenades 7-Bang
Now, there is nothing wrong with governments buying bullets, pistols, submachine guns and stun grenades, even in the millions of rounds and tens of thousands of pieces like what the Malaysian government is doing. All governments do this, even the Malaysian government. But this particular cache is not being procured through ‘normal channels’. There is no tender being called for this purchase. It is being negotiated through ‘underground’ sources, the way illegal organisations or terrorist groups would normally do.
Why would Malaysia want to by-pass the official or legal channels in buying all these guns, ammunition and grenades? Are they meant for illegal purposes? Are they meant for onward transmission to terrorist groups that Malaysia is supporting? Or is the final destination of this cache of weapons Malaysia itself?///
pw: peroxide rich
Hi Joshua,I think you still didn’t get it.How do you think some top corporate bosses could afford to help Umno/Bn bought over the three frogs of Perak and the latest one from Kedah. There many reasons to all these guns,ammunition and grenades buying.The number one is to prepare to have an emergency military rule when Umno/Bn losing the 13th GE.The rest of the reasons liken you said were probably true.Look at Abu Sayat or the MORO of the southern Philipines,who do you think all these rebels got their weapons from ?.Well consider southern Thailand,where do you think the separatists get so much weopons from ?.In a nut shell,I think the main reasons were to en-rich some top business guys who would paid for PR aduns to frog jumps from sleepy PR to open arms Umno/Bn.
//Have the 42 MACC Panel members discharged their duties to the MACC and to the nation in the past few months?// – YB Lim Kit Siang
You have raised an important issue here.
First of all Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) died mysteriously in MACC precincts after interrogation. Now we also have a MACC ‘Mystery’ Letter (Unofficial) alleging corrupt collusion between a powerful senior officer of the MACC and a well-known BN politician to target investigations of officials of PKR Selangor State Government. There is a need to investigate the truth or falsehood of the allegations. It is important for the image of MACC and public confidence in it, without which, the institution will lose its function and relevance.
Only two bodies have the infrastructure and tools of investigation – the police and the MACC.
So far based on TBH’s inquest, police investigations have not been that thorough or efficacious. As far as MACC goes, can it investigate impartially itself? It would be ideal if there were an independent watchdog over this particular watchdog (MACC) but unfortunately there is none.
The MACC is institutionally and by its charter, the MACC Act, designed to be self-regulating via its five panels/committees – Advisory Committee, Special Committee, Complaints Committee, Operations Review Panel and Corruption Consultation and Prevention Panel of 42 members.
The 42 members are commissioners appointed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong through the recommendation of the Prime Minister were appointed to oversee MACC and be effective internal watchdogs over human rights and corruption matters in the country.
TBH’s mysterious death in MACC precincts and MACC ‘Mystery’ Letter (Unofficial) are elements constituting compound fit and proper for the Commissioners to now immediately put their act together and spring into action consistent with their duties.
The Commissioners were supposedly appointed on the basis of their public repute and integrity. In their midst, we have commissioners of public prominence including Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam of Transparency International Malaysia, lawyer Chooi Mun Sau who investigated the infamous RM2 billion loan scandal involving Bumiputra Malaysia Finance Ltd, your own 3 Pakatan Rakyat MPs including DAP National Deputy Chairman and MP for Kepong Dr Tan Seng Giaw, ex-co member of Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation Tan Sri Robert Phang who together with Simon Sipaun and Yong Poh Kon have so far evinced a measure of independence by taking to task the email of MACC secretariat conducting a survey complaining about the 6 allegedly “offending” media statements made by panel members Ramon Navaratnam and Robert Phang on TBH’s case. See – http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=37032
There are no two ways about it. These 42 panel members have lent their reputation to the MACC. In the face of these developments of the surfacing of a MACC ‘Mystery’ Letter (Unofficial) compounding the mysteries of THB’s death, the only way open for the 42 MACC Panel members is they must now publicly suggest how best to address and investigate these developments in a manner restorative of public confidence.
To do nothing and keep silent is not an option. It is a dereliction of their duties to the MACC and to the nation. To collectively resign would be a more honourable option doing justice to ntheir reputation than to either doing nothing or incapable of doing anything!
We must ask the Deputy Commissioner and Head of Operations of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Daniel Li, who had a part to play in crafting of MACC Act and who also said that MACC was a “good start for Malaysia to battle graft”, whether in light of all these recent developments, he wishes to now qualify his optimistic prognostication.
Why is OTK not investigated (not as President of MCA but in his private capacity) by the MACC?
If Tiong King Sing said he had given 10 million ringgit donation to MCA through OTK and MCA claimed they had not received the money, then OTK would be the chief suspect – this is how people on the street look at things.
To help restore rakyat’s confidence in the MACC, the 42 MACC Panel members should advice MACC to investigate OTK (not just MCA only).
Since OTK claimed that he is clean, then he should give full co-operation to MACC so as to clear his name.
I was reading the Sun. MCA Treasurer-General Tee says that MCA has RM2 billion in assets and therefore does not need the RM10 million. Maybe that is the reason why OTK decided to keep it, LOL.
Sounds like common practice in Malaysia. I understand that many part-timers engage in sexual activities. They are not prostitutes because they don’t charge a fee. They only ask to borrow RM200 or RM300 after it is done, LOL.
That’s the problem with having so many committees – with 42 advisors I guess everyone is waiting for someone else to make the first move.
There is a joke that if you don’t want to get anything done, just form a committee and one year later, you can go through the same old minutes.
“You want to drag them out of their comfy retirement “jobs” and actually do some “work”? They are supposed to only show up for meetings and say “semua-nya OK” or “setuju”. And then head off for their 18 holes or whatever they do to maintain their sanity.” – Sheriff
Singh
You’re right!
They are like those advisers who are attached to the DBKL!
42 members and 5 oversight committees?
Wow! How many advisors do you need?
And what the heck have they been doing all this time? Why did they not reign in that useless MACC commisioner when he started attacking MB Khalid over cars and cows? What about the MACC ‘setup’ of the 2 PKR kataks in Perak? Why none of the committees reprimanded the MACC until now when someone has DIED?
Obviously these committees have utterly failed in their duty of providing ‘oversight’. They should all just be fired immediately. I would be so damn pissed off if i find out those useless committee members are getting paid using taxpayers money.
YB, I think you should raise the question on how many reports have been made against the MACC officers by people who have detained questioning.
I was informed that there were so many reports made against the MACC officers for brutality and assault during interrogations. What happened to all these reports.
What is frightening is that most of the investigation papers submitted to the DPP office have been classified as NFA although there are sufficient evidence for prosecution. Why is the DPP’s office allowing such illegalities to continue and not charge any of the officers involved.
The DPP’s inaction or their refusal to take action has now resulted in the death of an innocent person.
There was one case in Pahang where a family was kidnapped and confined illegally in order for the husband (a police officer) to report to the MACC. The Investigation Paper was sent to the DPP’s office with a recommendation by the Police to charge the officer(s) concerned. However, the DPP although agreed that there are sufficient evidence to bring a charge but chose not to charge and closed the file as NFA.
There are also many cases of assault by MACC officers but when comes to identification parades, the officer who is involved will not avail himself for the identification. They will sent officers who are not related to the case for identification.
This matter should be highlighted as much as possible and the Police and the MACC must be questioned as to what happened to all the reported cases.
I suggest we just sack all of them and it won’t make a difference.