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Why nobody in government starting from Najib has ever talked about “zero tolerance for corruption” to demonstrate their seriousness about battling corruption?

I visited the public display of the various laboratories of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Petaling Jaya today.

I was pleasantly surprised that some of the concepts and objectives which I had espoused both in and out of Parliament have found their way into the initiatives proposed – which is a different matter about their implementation.

The laboratory on “Battling Corruption” referred to “zero tolerance for corruption” while the laboratory on “Fighting Crime” referred to battling the people’s “fear of crime”.

When I had advocated the former, it had elicited indifferent response while in the latter, there was negative reaction in the form of righteous denial there was ever the problem of the “fear of crime” among Malaysians in the country.

When visiting the various Key Performance Index (KPI) and National Key Results Area (NKRA) laboratories, the foremost question is whether there had been a real change of heart by the Barisan Nasional government, followed quickly by a flurry of other questions, such as:
Continue reading “Why nobody in government starting from Najib has ever talked about “zero tolerance for corruption” to demonstrate their seriousness about battling corruption?”

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How many Malaysians will agree with Attorney-General that Phang, Stephen and Tan are “big fishes” in the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal?

Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail yesterday said that former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Datin Paduka O.C.Phang, Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd. Chief operating officer Stephen Abok and architect Bernard Tan Seng Swee of BTA Architect charged with multiple counts of criminal breach of trust and cheating are “big fishes” in the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

How many Malaysians will agree with Gani that these three are the “big fishes” in the PKFZ scandal?

Guilty or otherwise, there can be no doubt that the trio are mere “cogs in the wheel” of the “mother of all scandals” and the authorities concerned have still to bring the “big fishes” to justice.

Gani said that investigations into the PKFZ scandal are ongoing and more people would be brought to book.
Continue reading “How many Malaysians will agree with Attorney-General that Phang, Stephen and Tan are “big fishes” in the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal?”

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“Teoh Beng Hock’s case is nothing. It is a very small case.” – Ahmad Said’s guilty mind speaking

The outgoing Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said gravely damaged his own case that he was not stepping down early because of political pressure.

Denying that the mysterious death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock at the MACC headquarters at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam on July 16, 2009 had attributed to his early retirement, Ahmad said:

“Teoh Beng Hock’s case is nothing. It is a very small case. We have handled much bigger cases.’’

This is generally received by Malaysians as Ahmad Said’s guilty mind speaking, admitting that the MACC cannot exonerate itself or exculpate responsibility for Teoh’s death whatever the outcome of the ongoing inquest to Teoh’s death.

Ahmad’s statement is heartless and grossly insensitive, rubbing salt into the wounds in the hearts of all decent and justice-loving Malaysia.
Continue reading ““Teoh Beng Hock’s case is nothing. It is a very small case.” – Ahmad Said’s guilty mind speaking”

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Under Abu Kassim, can MACC redeem itself and restore public confidence, which has plunged to lowest ebb in nation’s history, as an independent, professional and fearless fighter against corruption?

Generally news of the early retirement of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan have elicited two responses.

Firstly, Ahmad Said’s 30-month tenure as anti-corruption chief saw public confidence in the anti-corruption agency, Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and later MACC, plunged to the lowest ebb in nation’s history.

This is supreme irony and greatest national disservice. The MACC which started operations this year had been touted as modeled after world-famous Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and would be an even more effective anti-corruption agency because of the various panels and mechanisms exercising oversight to ensure its independence and professionalism.

It is however no exaggeration to say that public confidence in the ACA in its 40-year history had never fallen as low as during the first year of operation of MACC.
Continue reading “Under Abu Kassim, can MACC redeem itself and restore public confidence, which has plunged to lowest ebb in nation’s history, as an independent, professional and fearless fighter against corruption?”

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DAP: No sense gaining RM1b from GST to lose RM28b to graft

By Clara Chooi | The Malaysian Insider

IPOH, Nov 29 – DAP has urged the Federal Government to reconsider the proposed 4 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST), claiming it would do nothing to narrow the nation’s current deficit budget and would only further burden the poor and the middle class.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that the Government should, instead, concentrate on fighting corruption and realising savings of at least RM28bil annually instead of a mere RM1bil in additional revenue from GST.

“This RM28bil was admitted by Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah as the cost of leakages from having closed tenders in government procurement or just failing to have open tenders for government contracts in an open manner.

“If the government focuses on changing this, there is no need to impose GST on the people to raise funds.
Continue reading “DAP: No sense gaining RM1b from GST to lose RM28b to graft”

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Open Tender for all government procurements – most effective way to prevent corruption and ensure efficiency

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

Last year on August 5th the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was quoted as saying that open tender would be implemented for government procurements. This was a very encouraging statement and gave the impression that he really intended to institute reforms to bring about better governance. Was this the signal that things are changing?

Later, when he was anointed prime minister, he announced further reforms to launch off his “1 Malaysia, People First, Performance Now” concept. This was even more promising.

Unfortunately, the euphoria engendered so far has now vanished by the announcement in Parliament on Wednesday that MATRADE expo – the biggest and most comprehensive exhibition center – would be awarded to a private contractor NAZA TTDI through private negotiated deal. The government procurement was NOT given out by OPEN TENDER.

This is a shocking development and has unravelled all the attempts by Najib to initiate a series of reforms for better governance in a “1 Malaysia”. Continue reading “Open Tender for all government procurements – most effective way to prevent corruption and ensure efficiency”

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PAC must act fast – prevent another multibillion-ringgit Matrade 2 scandal after the 10-year RM287 million Matrade 1 scandal

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) must act fast – prevent another multibillion-ringgit Matrade 2 scandal after the 10-year RM287 million Matrade 1 scandal.

The PAC had previously held several meetings on the Matrade 1 scandal, but they were of no practical relevance or consequence as what the PAC did was to lock the stable door after the horses had bolted.

As far as I know, not a single sen had been recovered by the government despite solemn assurances in Parliament by the Ministers concerned to pursue legal actions and penalties against the defaulting parties – with the Umno cronies laughing all the way to the bank with their ill-gotten multi-million ringgit NEP gains.

In the first Matrade scandal, the 24-storey Matrade building took some 10 years to be completed at a RM120 million cost overrun resulting in a final cost of RM287 million, i.e. at over 70 per cent of the original estimates of RM167 million. For years, the cracked façade of the incomplete Continue reading “PAC must act fast – prevent another multibillion-ringgit Matrade 2 scandal after the 10-year RM287 million Matrade 1 scandal”

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Lack of transparency in RM628 million Matrade expo centre deal for 65 acres of prime land in KL for Naza TTDI with GDV of RM15 billion could further plunge Malaysia’s competitiveness and corruption perception rankings next year

Just spoke in Parliament on the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. I started by asking Parliament and government to give serious thought to a Malaysian Insider report today, and in particular its catchy headline “Malaysia’s next export: Maids?”

The Malaysian Insider report states:

The nation’s mismanagement of talent could have serious repercussions not only on its ambitions to become a high income economy on par with that of developed nations but could also lead it to fall further behind even its counterparts in the region. Continue reading “Lack of transparency in RM628 million Matrade expo centre deal for 65 acres of prime land in KL for Naza TTDI with GDV of RM15 billion could further plunge Malaysia’s competitiveness and corruption perception rankings next year”

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More answers from Minister in PM Department on Corruption

(1) Jawapan Bertulis YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri semasa menggulung perbahasan Bajet 2010 peringkat dasar pada 9 November 2009

Tuan Yang di-Pertua

Berhubung kenyataan YB Ipoh Timur bahawa tiada political will (dengan izin) yang diperlihatkan oleh YAB Perdana Menteri dalam memerangi rasuah dan pembentukan SPRM serta pembaharuan lain bagi memerangi rasuah adalah tidak efektif, sebenarnya kenyataan YB mengenai perkara ini adalah tidak berasas sama sekali. Hakikatnya the record speaks for itself (dengan izin) telah membuktikan bahawa Kerajaan dan SPRM komited dan bersungguh-sungguh dalam menangani isu rasuah. Ini terbukti melalui perangkaan tangkapan dan pertuduhan terhadap ahli-ahli parti politik dan juga pegawai kanan Kerajaan yang telah saya bentangkan sebentar tadi.

Bukankah kesediaan Kerajaan pimpinan YAB Perdana Menteri untuk memperkenalkan Whistle Blower Protection Act (dengan izin) bagi menggalakkan pemberi maklumat untuk tampil membuat pendedahan jenayah rasuah merupakan satu contoh political will (dengan izin). Bukan setakat itu sahaja, Kerajaan juga akan menambah 14 buah Mahkamah Sesyen dan 4 buah Mahkamah Tinggi bagi mempercepatkan process perbicaraan sesuatu kes berbanding 4 buah Mahkamah Sesyen sedia ada.
Continue reading “More answers from Minister in PM Department on Corruption”

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Parliament question on DPM use of Nuri helicopter for Umno functions

Question:

To ask the Prime Minister the guidelines on the use of government aircrafts by Ministers for personal and political party purposes, and why no action has been taken against abuses of power in August by Deputy Prime Minister who had crash-land in Sabah when using RMAF Nuri helicopter for Umno functions.

Answer: (Dato Seri Mohd Nazri Aziz)

Mr Speaker, Sir,

The guidelines for the use of aircrafts are based on the Surat Pekeliling Am Sulit Bil. 1 Tahun 1987 Peraturan Peraturan Penggunaan Jet Eksekutif Kerajaan dan Pesawat-pesawat TUDM which allocates government executive jet aircrafts for the use of DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong, YAB Prime Minister and YAB Deputy Prime Minister.
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Chief Secretary Sidek’s failure to carry out Cabinet decision of July 2007 to take action against culprits responsible for RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal a factor why Malaysia has worst ranking and score in 15 years in TI CPI 2009

During the 2010 budget debate on 29th October 2009, I questioned the Cabinet decision to set up a super task force headed by the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan to take over all investigations into the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal as it represented a “major step backwards in public accountability and good governance”, smacking of a super “cover up” instead of a demonstration of political will to get to the bottom of the “mother of all scandals”.

I argued that what is needed is a Royal Commission of Inquiry to conduct a comprehensive and no-holds-barred investigation into the “mother of all scandals” including relevant Ministerial and Cabinet aspects of the scandal instead of trying to sweep the whole issue back under the carpet.

I also posed the following question:

“In the first place, is Mohd Sidek the most appropriate person to head the super task force on the PKFZ scandal?
Continue reading “Chief Secretary Sidek’s failure to carry out Cabinet decision of July 2007 to take action against culprits responsible for RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal a factor why Malaysia has worst ranking and score in 15 years in TI CPI 2009”

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No open tender for deal building RM628m Matrade Centre for RM15 billion 65-acre prime KL land – dare Tsu Koon raise in Cabinet warning of adverse KPI/NKRA combating corruption?

In his first month as Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak received praise and applause for his assurance that he would cut down on direct negotiations for government procurement contracts and instead adopt the tender system on efforts to curb corruption and restore public confidence in the government.

The award of the building-for-land deal to Naza TTDI Sdn Bhd involving 65 acres of prime land in Kuala Lumpur with a gross development value of RM15 billion for building a RM628 million Matrade expo centre has dashed public hopes and expectations that Najib is serious about open tenders, accountability, transparency and the war against corruption.

As combating corruption is one of the six National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) announced by Najib, is the Key Performance Index (KPI) Minister, dare Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon raise in Cabinet urging for a review and to ask for the Matrade building-for-land deal to be submitted to open tender to ensure that the government and the public obtains the best deal.
Continue reading “No open tender for deal building RM628m Matrade Centre for RM15 billion 65-acre prime KL land – dare Tsu Koon raise in Cabinet warning of adverse KPI/NKRA combating corruption?”

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Malaysia, no pass marks in the corruption index

By Tunku Aziz

About this time each year when Transparency International in Berlin releases its Corruption Perceptions Index, there are many in high places chewing their sticky, dirty fingers while keeping them crossed, hoping against hope, that the world would be kinder and Malaysia’s score on the corruption league table would come out more favourably than last year’s and all the previous years since the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index was first released in 1995. The prayers of the corrupt in government and politics have been ignored again. The predictability of it all is uncanny. The question is why are we continually perceived as corrupt, and are the perceptions justified?

The ambivalence of Tun Mahathir to corruption during his 22 year administration was never in dispute. In a perverse sort of way, he was charmingly honest and did not try to pretend that he was against corrupt practices. He was a great “in the national interest man” who saw corruption not in monochrome, but in glorious Technicolor which could even be made to look extremely attractive seen through his 20/20 Vision however sordid it is in reality.
Continue reading “Malaysia, no pass marks in the corruption index”

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MACC: Biting the Political Neutrality Bullet

By Dr Lim Teck Ghee

Several days ago, I received an urgent message from a friend inviting me to a seminar on ‘Corruption Prevention in Business Sector 2009’ organized jointly by the MACC, MACC Consultation and Prevention of Corruption Panel and the Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia.

The friend – whose name I need not mention here – is an MACC advisory committee member who knows full well my scathing opinion of the MACC and its work to date. “Come to the seminar as my guest and hear them out” he urged me. “Rome was not built in a day; we must be constructive not destructive”.

Continue reading “MACC: Biting the Political Neutrality Bullet”

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Indonesia’s gecko-gate

by Tim Lindsey
The Australian
November 20, 2009
(extract)

Instead, the nation is riveted by televised Constitutional Court hearings, explosive press conferences and a daily diet of rolling media revelations uncovering what may be the country’s biggest political crisis since the fall of Suharto in 1998.

At the heart of it all is Indonesia’s popular anti-corruption commission (KPK). Originally expected to be the latest in a long and unhappy line of toothless, gutless or silenced anti-corruption initiatives, it quickly proved itself anything but.

Energetic, determined and courageous, it used aggressive new tactics involving electronic surveillance and carefully managed stings to chase some very bigfish.

It targeted legislators at the local and national levels, as well as ministers, governors, police, prosecutors, judges and reserve bank governors. And it enjoyed a spectacular 100 per cent success rate in court. Continue reading “Indonesia’s gecko-gate”

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Divyashree, one of three pupils drowned in Kuala Dipang bridge tragedy, scored 4 As 3 Bs in UPSR, had ambition to become orthopaedic surgeon

V. Divyashree, 12, one of the three pupils drowned in the bridge collapse tragedy at SK Kuala Dipang in Jeram, Perak on Oct. 26 scored 4 As and 3 Bs in the UPSR results yesterday.

But the UPSR results were no comfort to her or her family. Divyashree’s life and her ambition to become an orthopaedic surgeon were snuffed out when together with two other pupils, N. Dina Deve and M. Devatharshini attending a 1Malaysia camp organized by the Education Ministry’s Co-curriculum Centre, she was drowned when the Kuala Dipang suspension bridge collapsed because of criminal negligence.

This morning, together with Perak Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives including MPs Ngeh Koo Ham (Bruas), M. Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), Nga Kor Ming (Taiping) and Perak State Assembly members A. Sivanesan (Sungkai), legitimate and legal Perak Speaker V. Sivakumar (Tronoh), Leong Mee Ming (Jalong), I was at the Ipoh High Court to extend support, sympathy and solidarity to the parents of the three victims of the Kuala Dipang tragedy to file a hundred-million ringgit suit against the Education Ministry for their death.
Continue reading “Divyashree, one of three pupils drowned in Kuala Dipang bridge tragedy, scored 4 As 3 Bs in UPSR, had ambition to become orthopaedic surgeon”

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Teoh Beng Hock would not have died if MACC had followed the law (update)

DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock would not have died if the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had followed the law.

This is the immediate reaction not only of family members of Beng Hock, DAP and Pakatan Rakyat, but all Malaysians following the landmark decision by the Kuala Lumpur High Court today which ruled that the MACC is not entitled to interrogate witnesses late at night beyond normal office hours, from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Justice Mohd Ariff Md Yusof ruled that it was illegal for the MACC to question its witnesses at night as such questioning must be done during the daytime.

“The term day to day as stipulated in the MACC Act cannot mean round the clock.”

This landmark decision is the result of the suit filed by Kajang Councillor Tan Boon Hwa who was falsely imprisoned together with Teoh Beng Hock on July 15 and 16 at the MACC headquarters in Shah Alam, with the case argued by DAP National Chairman and MP for Bukit Glugor Karpal Singh.
Continue reading “Teoh Beng Hock would not have died if MACC had followed the law (update)”

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Another black day for Parliament and anti-corruption

Another black day for Parliament and for Malaysia’s anti-corruption campaign – when my motion for an emergency debate on Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2009 which saw Malaysia suffering the worst CPI rank of 56 and score of 4.5, as well as the worst single-year drop in CPI rank by nine placings from last year’s 47th position and fall of CPI score of 0.6 from last year’s 5.1, was rejected in chambers by the Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin as “not urgent”.

It is meaningless to talk about the TI CPI 2009 as a “wake-up” call, as it would appear that nothing is capable of waking up the Barisan Nasional government to clean up corruption in Malaysia except for a change of federal government in the next general elections.

A survey of the 15 annual reports of the TI CPI from 1995 to 2009 shows that Malaysia occupies dubious company, sharing with Philippines the dishonour of being two of the 12 Asian countries first surveyed in 1995 which had ended with both lower CPI ranking and score in CPI 2009 as compared to CPI 1995 – with Malaysia suffering a bigger drop in CPI score of .78 (5.28 in 1995; 4.5 in 2009) as compared to Philippines, which suffered a drop of .37 in the past 15 years (2.77 in 1995; 2.4 in 2009).
Continue reading “Another black day for Parliament and anti-corruption”

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Heads must roll starting with the resignation of the MACC Chief Commissioner Ahmad Said for Malaysia’s worst single-year plunge in TI CPI ranking and score in past 15 years

Heads must roll – starting with the resignation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan – for Malaysia’s worst single-year plunge in Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking and score since the introduction of TI’s annual CPI in the past 15 years.

Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking and score from 1995 to 2009, which ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt), are as follows:

Continue reading “Heads must roll starting with the resignation of the MACC Chief Commissioner Ahmad Said for Malaysia’s worst single-year plunge in TI CPI ranking and score in past 15 years”

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Major blow for Najib premiership – Malaysia’s worst ranking and score in 15 years in Transparency International Corruption Perception Index 2009

I asked in Parliament yesterday whether Malaysia is heading for the worst Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking and score in 15 years when TI CPI 2009 is announced in the next few days.

I had expected poor results for Malaysia both in CPI ranking and score, with Malaysia slipping further in ranking from No. 47 to may be No. 50 and to fall to the lowest CPI score ever of 4.8.

But my worst fears had been exceeded when the Berlin-based TI just announced that Malaysia had plunged nine places from last year’s 47th CPI ranking to 56th position while Malaysia CPI index score plunged to the lowest in 15 years to 4.5 when Malaysia’s previous worst scores below 5 were 4.8 in 2000 and 4.9 in 2002.

This is a national shame and major blow for Najib’s premiership
Continue reading “Major blow for Najib premiership – Malaysia’s worst ranking and score in 15 years in Transparency International Corruption Perception Index 2009”