Today, December 9, is the International Anti-Corruption Day designated by the United Nations to raise awareness of corruption and the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in combating and preventing corruption.
However, although this is the 9th International Anti-Corruption Day since its first observance in 2004, the Malaysian Government had simply ignored it – which is a reflection of its lack of commitment and political will to combat corruption, in particular “grand corruption” of top political and government leaders.
The failure of the “reform” government of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to observe the International Anti-Corruption Day this year is a great disappointment, as it was only ten days ago that Najib had apologised for “any oversight” of the UMNO/Barisan Nasional government in the past, couched in the most flowery of language, viz:
“Where on this earth is there no rain, which sea has no turbulence? Where on this earth are there people, or leaders, or companies or parties that have never stumbled or committed a mistake? As the leadership of the party and government, we put our palms together in apology for any oversight.”
I want to ask Najib whether he would apologise for Malaysia’s poor record in fighting corruption under his watch as Prime Minister, falling to the lowest rankings of Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for four consecutive years from 2009-2012 – a record worse than previous Prime Ministers?
This concerns his own “oversight” as Prime Minister in the past four years and not the “oversight” of the previous UMNO/BN Prime Ministers in the past five decades!
When the TI CPI was first introduced in 1995, Malaysia was ranked No. 23 out of 41 countries. I can still remember the condemnation by the then Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who accused it as part of the Western “white men” conspiracy to demonise Asian countries as the global anti-corruption NGO was headquartered in Berlin.
What is most ironic is that in the months before he stepped down as Prime Minister in October 2003, Mahathir was singing a different tune, suggesting that Malaysia must compare its public behaviour with Finland, which came out as the world’s least corrupt and most ethical country in the TI CPI for three consecutive years at that time.
Giving final recognition to the TI CPI, Mahathir urged the country to aim “to be amongst the highest ranking countries” – which could only mean among the top least corrupt nations!
When Mahathir stepped down as Prime Minister, Malaysia’s ranking in 2003 had dropped from 23rd in 1995 to 37th position!
In the five-year premiership of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia’s TI CPI plunged another ten places from 37th to 47th ranking in 2008 despite Abdullah’s five-year National Integrity Plan to achieve at least 30th ranking in 2008.
But for the period when Najib took over as Prime Minister, Malaysia’s plumbed to the lowest TI CPI rankings in all the four consecutive years, falling to 56th placing in 2009 and 2010, 60th in 2011 and 54th in 2012 – confirming that Malaysia under Najib is even more corrupt than under the two previous Prime Ministers, Mahathir and Abdullah.
If Najib is not prepared to apologise for the “oversight” and “failings” under his own premiership, who will believe that Najib is sincere and genuine about his “apology with palms together” for the “oversight” of past UMNO/BN governments?
With such an abysmal record on the anti-corruption front, despite giving it top priority in the government transformation programme (GTP) and NKRA, the International Anti-Corruption Day should have been observed by Najib with the announcement of new meaningful anti-corruption initiatives by the present UMNO/BN government.
But this is not the case, and the International Anti-Corruption Corruption Day continues to be ignored by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet – an eloquent statement that they are not serious in the war against worsening corruption in Malaysia apart from sloganeering and rhetorics.
The 66th UMNO General Assembly is not the first time that Najib had apologised for past UMNO/BN mistakes, but he had singularly failed to enumerate the past UMNO/BN mistakes which he was apologising for.
Let Najib identify and particularise these “oversights” which he is apologising for, whether for abuses of power, corruption, cronyism and lack of accountability; the destruction of the independence, impartiality, integrity and professionalism of major national institutions whether the civil service, the judiciary, police, election commission or anti-corruption agency; the worsening race and religious polarisation in the country or for the illegal and undemocratic power grab in Perak from Pakatan Rakyat in February 2009?
How about if Najib should also apologise for all the lavish spending and lifestle by Lohsimah at the expense of public purse? Mr PM,minta maaf betul betul la.Then only you have our nambikei mah,ok?Other wise, just Pordah!!
He can apologies, but what is the point, if he does not or incapable of change.
He proved to you he and party he led never change, why ask for apology?
Why do we need an apology for his failure? Voters are grown independent men and women. We don’t need apologies from our leaders. What we need is for them to do the job we sent them to the seat of power to do. What use is an apology to us? We need actions, concrete results..
One of UMNO’s pet charge against Anwar is that he says one thing to one person and something else to another. What we have seen is Najib doing the same thing he/they accuses him of doing although Najib does it very very badly. Why would we care for an apology from such a person?
The governance of a country is NOT child’s play. Its suppose to be the work of serious men and women. There is no apology and lets kiss and make up. You get it wrong, so many, especially those who can’t afford it, pay, so the ones responsible is lucky they don’t have to hang for it..
The day Najib apologizes for corruptions…I will shave my head bald.
Apology must be followed by actions…not just talk talk sweet nothing.
He must surrender himself to be investigated for all the accusations thrown onto him.
He must not treat Malaysians as fool…using the mosque and religion.
Well, well, well!
Apologies?
No, those are not even near acceptable!
For those in the top hierarchy of a party, the raison d’etre of which is to empty the cooky jar and run up a National Debt of hundreds of billions of Ringgit in an extremely resource rich country like ours?
No wonder they are all falling all over each other to inveigle themselves into the minds of Malaysians if they think that just by apologising, they can get away with five and a half decades of unmitigated, savage plundering of the wealth of this nation?
Besides many other acts of malfeasance?
No way!!!!