Instead of being referred to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges, the MACC Chief Commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad should volunteer to appear before the Committee of Privileges explain his offence of parliamentary contempt in his 100-day “Open Warkah” yesterday
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To mark his 100th day in office yesterday, Dzulkifli issued an Open Warkah (Open Letter) which, among other things, referred to Members of Parliament when he told YBs to “stop fooling the people”
In his “Open Warkah”, he urged YBs not to betray the people and not to fool the people with fairy tales while at the same time engaging in corruption.
Dzulkifli told MPs:
“Don’t be swayed by the desire to be praised and raised on thrones, to the extent of neglecting judgement and (public) interests.
“Stop lulling the people with fables and fairy tales which hide the truth, when at the same time you greedily grab the spoils of corruption
Without mentioning names, Dzulkifli also warned those who are mired in corruption to turn themselves in to the authorities before it is too late.“To those still drunk and drowning in graft, heed this warning. For the last time, stop this betrayal of corruption and abuse of power.
“Surrender. Stop foolishly beating your chest, lest you risk your life and limbs and fall into tragedy.”
I stood up in Parliament today after Question Time under Standing Order 26(1)(p) to refer the MACC Chief Commissioner to the Committee of Privileges as he had committed the offence of parliamentary contempt not only besmirching the honour and dignity of individual Members of Parliament, but also the institution of Parliament. A motion under SO 26 (1)(p) does not require any notice as it is a motion “relating to a matter of privilege when it occurred”.
The Deputy Speaker, Datuk Sri Ismail Mohamed Said however asked such a motion to to submitted first, which would be done by the Pakatan Harapan MP for Sungai Petani, Johari Abdul.
I am surprised however that two Barisan Nasional MPs stood up to object to the matter, as if they felt very comfortable when MPs are included in the group castigated by the MACC Chief Commissioner for “fooling the people with fairy tales while at the same time engaging in corruption”.
As I said on the floor of Dewan Rakyat when proposing referring Dzulkifli to the Committee of Privileges, Parliament and all MPs should take offence at the insinuation by the MACC Chief Commissioner that MPs are corrupt and Parliament a corrupt institution.
Pakatan Harapan MPs take strong offence against Dzukifli’s “warkah” insinuating that MPs are corrupt even if Barisan Nasional MPs and Ministers do not take offence.
Was Dzulkifli only insinuating that Barisan Nasional Ministers and MPs are corrupt in his “warkah”?
As I said in Parliament this morning, Dzulkifli’s insinuation in his “warkah” must be taken seriously, especially at a time when Malaysia is regarded worldwide as a “global kleptocracy” and the MACC had done nothing to go after “Malaysian Official 1” (MO 1) in the world’s largest kleptocratic case in Malaysia.
I has proposed that Dzulkifli should be summoned to appear before the Committee of Privileges to name the Ministers and MPs who are corrupt and the subject of his warkah warning, or he should explain why he committed the offence of parliamentary contempt by bringing Parliament and MPs into disrepute with his “warkah”.
Dzulkifli’s warkah lacks sincerity and sensitivity when the world reverberates with unending chain consequences in various foreign countries arising from the 1MDB financial scandal but the MACC is blissfully unconcerned and indifferent about the one global kleptocratic event in Malaysia which has made the country regarded worldwide as a “global kleptocracy”.
Is Dzulkifli aware that that being Chief Commissioner of anti corruption agency in a country suffering the infamy and ignominy of being regarded worldwide as a “global kleptocracy” confers no honour or repute to him or the MACC at international anti-corruption conferences like the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) to be held in Panama City on Dec. 1 -4, 2016?
Is Dzulkifli aware that it is not only an adverse reflection on the integrity of the Malaysian government and leadership, but an adverse reflection on the effectiveness of the MACC when Malaysia shoots into the stratosphere of a “global kleptocracy”?
After 100 day as Chief Commissioner of MACC, can Dzulkifli explain why China is catching “tigers” and Indonesia “crocodiles”, but Malaysia is not able to catch a single “shark” in the war against grand corruption.
In China, a million of the party’s 90 million members have been sanctioned for corruption-related offences since Xi Jinping took power as President – including scores of officials of deputy ministerial or higher status, demonstrating that high status within the party is no protection for “tigers” against investigation and conviction.
In Indonesia, another Minister in Susilo Bambong Yudhoyono presidential administration was arrested last week in a corruption case, joining three other Ministers in Yudhoyono’s second administration (2009-2014) who were among the “crocodiles” who had been arrested and sentenced to imprisonment because of corruption.
The 2016 Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) will be made public in a month’s time.
Will Malaysia’s ranking improve or deteriorate?
Can Dzulkifli explain why he failed to address these important issues in his 100-day Open Warkah?
This idea of Najib and co-horts including Dzulkifli Ahmad the top leader(s) can be corrupt while they fight corruption at lower rungs is basically delusional.
The basic fact is so long as Najib is not thrown in jail, then corruption will, sooner or later, get out of control. LKY had a way to put it – once the core is corrupt, then its hopeless.
Fact is the natural state of corruption is to backslide because its natural human weakness. There simply are TOO MANY PERMUTATIONS possible for corruption and simply too many circumstances of sliding into corruption. The idea that the top can be corrupt while everyone else can be fooled or forced not to is simply not technically feasable.
This is what Dzulkifli Ahmad, whether by purpose or subconsious, is alluding to. The issue is can the one at top, once corrupted, stop and change? THAT is also a delusion.
The fact of the matter is the nature of politics is such, the constant demand is such, once it starts it never stops. Its like Anthony Weiner and his sexting proclivities, its just not natural. It never stops. Its why it must be systematic. Najib will continue to be corrupt so long as he is in office. Even if he is out of office, then change comes only with wholesale change which means those that protect him, associate with him, all have to be prosecuted which means Najib has to be prosecuted too.
Its just a delusion that a number of cases, including big cases, actually change anything. IT DOES NOT.