by Jennifer Gomez
The Malaysian Insider
September 18, 2013
There is a “very high” risk of corruption taking place in Malaysia in the procurement of defence equipment, according to an international study by Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme (TI-DSP).
Malaysia scored 25.14 out of 100 in a 6-band rank which exhibits “very high” risk of corruption among 21 other countries.
The other countries in the study were Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Palestine, Pakistan, Rwanda, Singapore, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
“Malaysia’s band ranking went from “D” – high to “E” – very high,” the statement noted.
With the latest findings, local anti-graft watchdog Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) is urging the Ministry of Defence to abandon its practice of direct negotiations with certain parties and instead carry out open tenders.
It also called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration to submit an annual budget, which includes the defence budget, to Parliament for debate, consideration and approval.
This, TI-M said, would allow citizens to know how their tax money is being spent and also avoid outdated military equipment being purchased at very high cost.
The study by TI-DSP found that two-thirds of parliaments and legislatures around the world failed to exercise sufficient control over their ministry of defence and armed forces, and 70% of these largest arms importers in 2012 leave the door open to corruption.
The report also identified seven key areas in which parliaments may reduce corruption, namely budget oversight & debate, budget transparency, external audit, policy oversight & debate, secret budgets oversight, intelligence services oversight and procurement oversight.
TI-M said RM23 billion has been allocated to defence and security under the 10th Malaysian Plan while, in contrast, through the cuts in fuel subsidies, the government was to save RM1.1 billion for the rest of the year and RM3.3 billion next year.
“There is always a high risk for corruption in the defence sector because the amount of money involved in contracts is enormous.
“We think defence establishments can be leaders in integrity and openness, providing an example by leadership to implement integrity pacts for other institutions and sectors within the country,” TI-M said in the statement.
The local anti-graft watchdog also expressed concern that lack of transparency in procurement practices would lead to the purchase of outdated military equipment at a very high cost.
“This could cost lives, when there is a war or incident such as that which happened in Lahad Datu, Sabah.”
TI-M noted it was time for members of parliament from both sides of the divide to further strengthen their oversight of the country’s defence budget and focus on tightening the procurement procedures.
“Information should be made available to the parliamentarians who will then be able to debate over the defence budget and monitor the procurement process to prevent a similar embarrassment suffered by the Najib administration.”
TI-M also called on parliamentarians to establish cross-party committees and groups of external experts to empower their scrutiny and inform their debate of defence matters. – September 18, 2013.
I hear the previous president of TI-M is now enjoying his perks as a Minister in the PM’s department. That’s one way of silencing the critics – throw some money and benefits at them.
Yeeeehaaaaa !!!
For once we matched Singapore in an international ranking. What Ghauth Jasmon can’t do at MU the government and its cronies can easily do at procurement.
Let us all go out and celebrate. C4 anyone?
#1 “previous president of TI-M is now enjoying his perks as a Minister in the PM’s department…”
I have long suspected that was Najib’s ploy to deliberately make the previous president of TI-M a Minister in the PM’s department so as to silence the previous TI-M critic.
What risk? Its its 100% going to happen, its no risk. Its certainty..Guaranteed corruption is not risky, it just a question of how high the price goes..
Come now, come now.
I am sure the Minister for Defence will tell us that mil-spec ballpoint pens REALLY do cost RM800 each.
We do want the very best for our defence forces, right?
Heheheheheh!!
It says “The other countries in the study were …, Singapore, ”
It didn’t says Singapore in also in same band ranking. It only says that Singapore is also been evaluated.
OK, the actual report did mention Singapore is in the same band as Malaysia
Source: http://government.defenceindex.org/report
VERY LOW AUSTRALIA GERMANY NORWAY
UNITED KINGDOM
LOW AUSTRIA BRAZIL BULGARIA
COLOMBIA FRANCE JAPAN
POLAND SLOVAKIA SOUTH KOREA
SWEDEN TAIWAN UNITED STATES
MODERATE ARGENTINA BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
CHILE CROATIA CYPRUS
CZECH REPUBLIC HUNGARY ITALY
LATVIA MEXICO SOUTH AFRICA
SPAIN THAILAND UKRAINE
HIGH GEORGIA GHANA GREECE
INDIA INDONESIA ISRAEL
KAZAKHSTAN KENYA KUWAIT
LEBANON NEPAL PHILIPPINES
RUSSIA SERBIA TANZANIA
TURKEY UGANDA
VERY HIGH AFGHANISTAN BAHRAIN BANGLADESH
BELARUS CHINA ETHIOPIA
IRAQ JORDAN MALAYSIA
MOROCCO NIGERIA OMAN
PALESTINE NATIONAL AUTHORITY PAKISTAN
RWANDA SINGAPORE TUNISIA
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UZBEKISTAN
VENEZUELA ZIMBABWE
CRITICAL ALGERIA ANGOLA CAMEROON
COTE D’IVOIRE DRC EGYPT
ERITREA IRAN LIBYA
QATAR SRI LANKA SAUDI ARABIA
SYRIA YEMEN
Even when the procurement of equipment was audited, irregularities still occurred as with the purchase of car jacks (purchased at 50 times market price), binoculars (over RM 40,000 each) and lap tops. So what do you think would happen when the Auditor General can’t audit the procurement of defence equipment? Those involved in the procurement would laugh all the way to the banks.
How come only E, not F or G meh
AhCheatKor n mooo smiled n said: E, OK what, Excellent mah; still better than F, U know
Then, D.
Now, E.
Walau Eh. See beh song ah. That is an improvement wat. All these are just a matter of how you look at the results mah.
Remember? We are a nationful of Endless Possibilities.
Ask the RM 500 million man.
What, no cows involved?
And condos too