The photograph of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak flamboyantly signing the Transparency International-Malaysia (TIM) “Election Integrity Pledge” on February 20 flanked by UMNO/Barisan Nasional leaders, with the Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, the bete’ noire of international anti-corruption campaigns, glaring malevolently from the back and the MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek in a somnabulant pose, will go down as one of the most unforgettable pics of the 13th General Elections.
This is because nobody, including the TIM President Paul Low, seated importantly on Najib’s left and who could not suppress a cynical sneer, really believed Najib and his Umno/BN Ministers and colleagues have even an ounce of sincerity in wanting to eradicate grand corruption and gross abuses of power in the country.
It was just a meaningless public relations exercise scripted by Najib’s political consultants and image-builders to score political points in the 13GE, destroying in the process all credibility and legitimacy of TIM’s Election Integrity Pledge.
How can Najib for instance convince Malaysians that he is now a “convert” in the fight against corruption and abuses of power when Malaysia in the past four years is most corrupt in the nation’s 56-year history when compared to the previous five Prime Ministers, whether Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Mahathir or Tun Abdullah – as testified by the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) since 1995 well as by the perceptions of all Malaysians down the 56 years of the nation’s history.
In fact, Najib proceeded to violate one item after another of the TI-M Election Integrity Pledge (EIP) before the ink of his signature was dry, chalking quite a catalogue of violations in the 44 days since his signature of the TI-M Election Integrity Pledge which made a total mockery of the four principles of the TI-M EIP, viz:
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Truth, integrity, ethical conduct and accountability, including not accepting or giving bribes or being involved in corrupt practices in any way;
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Upholding and giving priority to the interests of the rakyat as a whole;
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Good governance and transparency; and
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Compliance with all the applicable laws and regulations of Malaysia.
Is Najib prepared to have a public debate as to whether his as well as the UMNO/BN endorsement of TI-M EIP is most insincere, hypocritical, opportunistic and a travesty of the truth?
All these issues and concerns have been brought to the fore with the outburst yesterday by Taib against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), declaring:
“They don’t deserve my cooperation because they have been naughty… and they have not been honest.”
It was reported that the MACC launched a probe after an environmental activist group Global Witness released a video documentary alleging the state Barisan Nasional chief to have received millions of ringgit in kickbacks over land deals that have denuded the Borneo state.
In the video, the Sarawak people were also called naughty for occupying state land. But for Taib, the MACC is the naughty one now.
“Let them victimise me… I am not scared,” said Taib, expressing no fear over the investigations.
The ball is now in Najib’s court. Is MACC going to back down or will Najib direct MACC to proceed to open full investigations, or even better, establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into all the corruption allegations which have been made against Taib and his family.
The establishment of a RCI is one of the decisions which a caretaker government should not take after the dissolution of Parliament, but there can always be exceptions if all political parties, particularly the Pakatan Rakyat, gives consent.
I believe I can speak on behalf of Pakatan Rakyat on this matter and say that PR will fully agree even during this period of the caretaker government to establish a RCI into all the allegations of corruption against Taib and his family, subject to the terms of reference and composition of the RCI being agreed upon by both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.
Otherwise, Taib would have delivered a coup de grace to Najib’s pretensions of elevating “fighting corruption” as the top agenda of his transformation programme when Taib is not only mightier than MACC but also the Prime Minister.
I believe a majority of the first time voters will choose PR.
You know what jib lacks? A couple of hairy fruit between his thighs. And I guess cintanegara has to take the blame solely. No wonder he has gone all quiet for sometime already.
Hey chengho, is cintanegara in hiding – i mean hiding in a certain underground NY longkang?
come on tai king, you know he wont say anything, if chengho tell you, he will get no place to hide after his bosses lose GE13.
Yes, he has been victimized, because why only him, there are many others.
Only BN ministers/MPs can be above the law but not those of PR.
It is not Najib fighting corruption but corruption fighting Najib – what an astounding transformation!
The more important issue really is Najib’s excuse to the outside world particularly foreign media that fighting corruption takes time is HOGWASH.
While it will take a long long time to change the corrupt culture of corruption that had been institutionalized by Mahathirism – the corruption of the small FRYs, while many and even some tragic, don’t amount to that much compared to the corruption of the Big Fishes.
The reason why the corruption of the Big Fishes matter more is because, given the wide GINI coefficient of the Malays, its simply common sense that the Big Fishes IS MOST OF THE CORRUPTION..
More importantly, given what we have seen how CRUDE the corruption methods have become, what it really take is a group of smart dedicated people like Rafizi and MOST of it can be rid of in the first term.
The rest of the corruption can, will take time, and must be dealt with – BUT simply because the small corruptions, the many many people involved, means that all it takes is a few of them to grow up to become a few big fishes and it consequences is disastrous. In other words, the small fries are about the future, NOT now.. Now, today, its ALL ABOUT THE BIG FISHES – AND ITS NOT HARD. ITS DANGEROUS, IT TAKE POLITICAL WILL but they are not that good at doing it and it does not take much to sent them all away..
Let me just add one number to the above,
According to Malaysian IRB, among the Malays, the top 5% makes 50% of the income of the Malays. Its common sense then that the top 5% of the corrupted makes AT LEAST 50%, likely much more of the corruption.
Think about it..
Since independence, no PM has ever being investigated by MACC of any corruption and abuse of power as it is under control of PMO. So the Pm will have full liberty and freedom to commit these criminal acts at will and without a blink of an eye. Even Agong, AG, Judiciary, police, army.. have no control or say over things done by this pm! Msia will be doomed for another 5 years if we choose this very very corrupted leader! Vote wisely.
After signing the TIM “Election Integrity Pledge”, they still had the cheek to challenge the Opposition to accede to the EIP as well. How shameless they are. They have already said that they were the devils that we were familiar with. Don’t expect the devils to do anything good. White hair is so powerful in Sarawak and he can deliver the votes. I don’t think any action would be taken at this critical juncture. In this country, powerful and influential people are above the law.
Taib is literally showing his middle finger at MACC and Najib.
And I bet my last ringgit, Najib will never respond to Taib’s challenge. As usual he will pretend not to know anything or blame the media for misreporting.
Is ALL pure sandiwara, hoodwink, temporary measure to tie matters through, over G13.
C4 is just doing a Quickie ! , hit-run tactic to
even (worst senario) at least win by ONE (1) seat.
Then he has his way-out plan with Moodin-Bumno (MaMak just opportunist to exploit situation). But that’s worst senario which he hedged against with Cheatings at polls.
What is najib to Taib. Besides being super rich, Taib knows Altantuyyaa and najib very well. Taib and M Kutty bubby, buddy. Both ‘yi shou ze tian’ ( covering the sky with their palm )
All the present and past Transparency and Integrity people and institutions have got nothing to say ?
What about the ex-politician septuagenarian or that fellow fighting for a just world and that ‘social activist’ ?
All so quiet. Not their business I suppose.
In the land of the hornbills the scrawny Gollum is King.
politic is local games, Taib is a player , he knew the game very well , he will win handsomely
Chengho, i potong both my telinga if taib kalah in sarawak, simply, sarawak state was not dissolved, how can he lose.
But, taib is fingering najib, and said “f… you x3, i am the first defender of your putrajaya, you screwed it big time. Even i deliveref result in sarawak, you may still lose putrajaya. I don’t care a damned abt you, but if PR becamed PM, i am fcukeeeeed…., so don’t talk abt macc me, as if, you are taking the command now, you idiot”
For this “Tahi”, MACC is just a naughty and dishonest boy, quoted on the SUN, on 5th Apr 2013,
If what he said is true, then MACC should be dismantled and re-organized !
or can MACC sue him for defamation ?
Listen! Listen! Listen!
They all chicken out when they hear these…..