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Public building mishaps – end Samy Vellu farce, get Cabinet out of the way and emulate South Korean/Singapore examples

Yesterday was the opening of the RM290 million largest court complex in the world in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur marked by more mishaps, after the ceiling collapse in the secretarial room of Civil High Court judge Datuk Abdul Malik on Monday.

Firstly, cracks measuring more than three metres appeared on the fourth floor corridors opposite Magistrate Four.

Then one of the lifts broke down, trapping eight passengers for about half an hour.

Car parking is going to be a nightmare for lawyers and the justice-seeking public who have to go to the Jalan Duta Court Complex, which would house 77 courts comprising 26 magistrate’s courts, 21 Sessions Courts and 30 High Courts. The RM290 million Court Complex in Jalan Duta is clearly most unfriendly to the justice-seeking public.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has said that his Ministry will assemble a team of experts to investigate the faults at the court complex in Jalan Duta, the Immigration Headquarters building in Putrajaya and the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry building, also in Putrajaya.

He said the team would deliver a preliminary report on Monday for him to present to the Prime Minister at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday where further details, including repair costs, would be discussed.

I say: End the Samy Vellu farce and get Cabinet out of the way — emulate South Korean and Singapore examples to establish independent inquiries into construction disasters and prosecute defaulting parties regardless of cronies or proxies! Continue reading “Public building mishaps – end Samy Vellu farce, get Cabinet out of the way and emulate South Korean/Singapore examples”

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Congrats and 3 immediate tasks for Raymond Tan as new Sabah DCM

Congrats to Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah on his appointment as Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Vice President Datuk Liew Yun Fan as Minister for Youth and Sports..

I do not expect any thanks from the duo, although all Sabahans know that if not for my strong criticisms of the Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman during my three-day political tour of Tawau, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan last weekend for leaving vacant the two posts relinquished by Tan Sri Chong Kah Keat and the marginalization of both the Chinese and the Kadazandusun Murut communities in Sabah Baru, both appointments would have remained shelved.

Although the Sabah State Secretary Datuk K. Y. Mustafa said yesterday that Musa had informed the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of the reshuffle on April 25 and he had agreed to the appointments, nobody would believe Mustapha’s statement.

If Mustapha was speaking the truth, then Musa has a blackmark in setting the worst record for any state government leader in having to take nine long days to implement such a decision, which would normally be announced on the very same day itself

Can Musa explain the reasons for such gross incompetence and ineptitude?

Mustafa was clearly trying to shield the Chief Minister and fend off my political criticisms of Musa on this issue, but it is not his job as the state’s No. 1 civil servant to be embroiled in the political waters.

Mustafa should zealously safeguard the independence, impartiality, professionalism and image of the state civil service and not compromise them by doing political yeoman service for his political master.

Mustafa should leave politics to the politicians and do a good job as a model civil servant in the state by demonstrating that as the No. 1 civil servant in Sabah, he fully understands the meaning of civil service independence, impartiality, integrity and non-partisanship and is guided by these principles in his every action and statement. Continue reading “Congrats and 3 immediate tasks for Raymond Tan as new Sabah DCM”

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Tip of iceberg? More disastrous public building mishaps to come?

Transparency International Malaysia President Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam has said that the recent collapse at three new government buildings is symptomatic of the state of deterioration in standards, quality, productivity and efficiency in the country.

He said that there’s too much concern to make a quick buck and too little attention given to professionalism and warned that this could be “tip of the iceberg”.

Ramon is eminently qualified to pass such a stricture on the public service delivery system as he was one of the last top non-Malay civil servants, at a time when the Malaysian public service was still identified with quality and world-class standards.

The question posed by Ramon is uppermost in the minds of Malaysians — whether the trio of mishaps of three brand new government buildings in the past three weeks are mere “tip of the iceberg” which portend even more disastrous mishaps in the near future with grave consequences to life, limb and property?

In actual fact, there had been quite a catalogue of construction mishaps in the past three months, as apart from the recent trio – the flooding of the seven-floor Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya because of plumbing failure, the collapse of a ceiling at the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry in Putrajaya and the ceiling collapse in a secretary’s room at the world’s largest court complex at the Jalan Duta court complex — other mishaps involving brand-new government buildings and public projects or those under construction included the Parliament (ceiling collapse as a result of pipe leakage), Matrade Building, MRR2, fungus in new hospitals, the navy complex fiasco, smart lab fiasco, etc.

The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called for the Public Works Department to inspect all government buildings nationwide while the Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has welcomed the call and praised the Prime Minister’s for his wisdom!

This is most ridiculous and outrageous. How did Malaysia descend so quick and fast in the past three years down the slippery slope of a third-world nation, not only in the maintenance culture but in the deterioration in standards, quality, productivity and efficiency in the public service delivery system? Continue reading “Tip of iceberg? More disastrous public building mishaps to come?”

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Curses of 2Cs and 2Is in Sandakan and Sabah

For 12 years from 1978 to 1990, Sandakan was represented by the DAP in Parliament and the people of Sandakan were in the political vanguard in the state and nation in the battle for justice, equality and democracy.

In the past 17 years from 1990 to 2007, the people of Sandakan withdrew from this front-line role for political change in Sabah and Malaysia.

Last year, the wind of political change blew strong and hard in Sarawak when six DAP representatives were elected into the Sarawak State Assembly, fundamentally altering the culture, quality and direction of Sarawak State Assembly proceedings and Sarawak politics.

Many are hoping that this “Sarawak wind of political change” will also blow in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah come the next general election, which is most likely at the end of this year or early next year after Barisan Nasional’s surprise result in the Ijok by-election in Selangor yesterday.

The time has come for the wind of political change to blow again in the “Land Below the Wind” as Sabah was known.

Earlier today, together with the Sarawak DAP Assemblywoman for Pending Violet Yong and Pahang DAP Assemblyman for Triang Leong Ngah Ngah, I visited the new Sandakan market which had been operating for four months.

It was a grandiose “white-elephant” which cost RM34 million or over 60 per cent cost overrun from the original estimate of RM21 million — an outstanding symbol of the lack of municipal good governance in Sandakan and Sabah as well as the lack of accountability, integrity and effective democratic representation.

The cries of the majority of the stallholders in the new Sandakan market that they are sandwiched between high rentals and poor business as a result of bad siting, lack of supportive infrastructure like proper bus service and sub-standard construction despite exorbitant construction costs, had been totally ignored by all the three tiers of government – local, state and national.

The Sabah State Assembly had just concluded its meeting last week but nobody raised the scandal of the RM34 million new Sandakan market in the Sabah State Assembly. Continue reading “Curses of 2Cs and 2Is in Sandakan and Sabah”

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How can a law-abiding cybercafe operator survive in corruption-rife Malaysia?

I have received a heart-rending appeal for help as to how a law-abiding cafe operator could survive in corruption-rife Malaysia.

The cybercafe operator J is “almost at the end of the road” after being in the business for the past five years and is regretting that he had “picked the wrong country to live and grow by doing business and earn a living”.

He had ventured into the cybercafe business for the last five years after he lost his job as a IT hardware/software salesman. With 2nd class honours degree in Business information System in a UK university, he never got any better job which paid enough commensurate with his qualification.

He had paid for his entire studies right from local college to university in UK, working since in high school till university as a part-time technician in computer shops, selling self-build computers from home, etc.

While in UK, he saw cybercafes as a booming industry and dreamt of owning such a business one day.

But now, he his staring at the stark possibility of having to close down his business with debts of bank loans near to RM1 million – all because a licence is required to run such a business.

Back in 2002, when he started with 30 computers in his hometown, he took him more than a year to get a licence to operate the business. Why the one-year wait? Continue reading “How can a law-abiding cybercafe operator survive in corruption-rife Malaysia?”

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Ijok – BN transforms into “Bribery Nasional” with cornucopia of corrupt electoral practices

Ijok - BN transforms into Bribery Nasional with cornucopia of corrupt electoral practices

It speaks volumes that I was invited to the launching of the National Integrity Plan (NIP) by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi three years ago but I was not invited to the third anniversary commemoration of the NIP and the Integrity Institute of Malaysia (ITM) led by Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday.

I take this as a realization and admission by the government and organizers of the third anniversary commemoration of the NIP that whatever their public posturing and speechifying, corruption has gotten worse in the past three years and the NIP has become quite a joke.

Even former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who is not famous for leading a government of integrity, could elicit national and international approval when he said corruption under Abdullah in the past three years is worse than during his 22-year administration.

As far back as May 2005, Mahathir had warned that “corruption might be getting to a point of no return”, that it had become a culture in Malaysia with corruption almost at the “above the table” level and more and more people no longer trying to hide the fact that they were corrupt.

Why is Malaysia becoming even more corrupt than before when there was no National Integrity Plan, as testified by Malaysia’s seven-point drop in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) rankings from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 44 in 2006, and with all signs of heading further south in the 2007 ranking on the occasion of our 50th Merdeka anniversary?

What is the use of having a National Integrity Plan when there is even no integrity to admit that the NIP is a flop with regard to its most outstanding five-year objective to improve Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking to at least 30th position by 2008 — that we are going backward instead of forward in the battle against corruption?

I picked up on a comment on my blog and asked in Parliament yesterday whether BN has not become “Bribery Nasional” from the blatant money politics and electoral corruption in Ijok by-election and most recently the Machap by-election?

The full transformation of BN into “Bribery Nasional” in Machap and Ijok by-elections has made a total mockery of the third anniversary commemoration of the National Integrity Plan and the Integrity Institute of Malaysia — and I can understand why I did not receive any invitation to it. Continue reading “Ijok – BN transforms into “Bribery Nasional” with cornucopia of corrupt electoral practices”

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Ijok money-politics and electoral corruption – worst in 50 years of by-elections

In a Mingguan Malaysia interview yesterday, the Election Commission Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman challenged the general perception that the Election Commission is not fair, independent and transparent in the discharge of its constitutional mandate to conduct elections.

Rashid is defending the indefensible as the Election Commission’s record is a history of unmitigated and abysmal failure to conduct free, fair, transparent and clean elections and the “sins” of the Election Commission are long and ignominous.

How can the Election Commission claim to have conducted fair and transparent elections in the past and the present when such blemishes as the following continue unaddressed:

  • Opposition parties not allowed to send polling agents to supervise the casting of postal ballots by members of the police and security forces to ensure free and fair casting of votes.
  • The huge presence of “phantom” voters.
  • Inability to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive electoral roll with the highest possible percentage of eligible voters on the electoral register as there are at present 4.9 million eligible but unregistered voters.
  • Prohibit unfair, dishonest and one-sided media coverage, whether print , radio or television during the election campaigns, such as “below-the-belt” and unethical cartoons, write-ups, broadcasts and telecasts and the “fear and scare” advertisements against the Opposition.
  • Prohibit money politics, not only by candidates but also by political parties.
  • Prohibit abuse of government resources and funds during election campaigns. Continue reading “Ijok money-politics and electoral corruption – worst in 50 years of by-elections”
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Corruption investigations into Johari and Zulkipli – Nazri should make Ministerial statement

Corruption investigations into Johari and Zulkipli - Nazri should make Ministerial statement

I fully support the call by Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharum for public announcement of outcome of Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigations on RM5.5 million graft allegations against him in connection with the Emergency Ordinance (EO) “freedom for sale” scandal.

The ACA acting director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan had said that ACA had completed its investigations on the graft allegations against Johari shortly after the deputy minister was questioned by ACA officials on March 19 and that the investigation papers are now in the hands of the prosecution division.

Johari said he hoped that the Attorney-General’s Chambers would announce its decision quickly to clear his name.

If what Ahmad Said is true, then the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail should explain why the Attorney-General’s Chambers is taking more than a month to decide on the ACA investigations papers into Johari in connection with the RM5.5 million “EO freedom for sale” allegations.

The outcome of police investigations into the serious corruption allegations made against the then ACA director-general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor by former Sabah ACA director and whistleblower Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan in June last year should also be made public. Continue reading “Corruption investigations into Johari and Zulkipli – Nazri should make Ministerial statement”

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Abdullah must work trebly hard in next few months to have credibility to talk about Mission 2057

Yesterday’s New Straits Times front-page was completely taken up by two quotes of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s speech on the National Mission for the next 50 years, viz:

“I have not forgotten about Vision 2020. It is a target for us to achieve. But why can’t we think beyond that? We are well placed to envision a century of success… ”

“All those rumours that I’m resigning in July, who is saying this? Some have said I am a one-term prime minister. We will see about that… “

I had three immediate questions when I saw the NST front-page yesterday.

Question 1: This was a speech which Abdullah had delivered as Umno President in a meeting with the “Umno political machinery and Umno psychological warfare unit” (Bernama 19.4.06) at the Putra World Trade Centre last Friday.

Why was such a speech and message delivered to the Umno propaganda and psychological warfare unit aired on RTM1? Is this an open and blatant admission that RTM is nothing more than the propaganda and psychological warfare unit of Umno?

Is this further proof of Malaysia going further down the slippery slope where important distinctions among the three separate entities of government, political party and personal interests have been completely blurred and eradicated among those vested with public trust, whether government power or charge of public funds — when the strict maintenance of such distinctions are the fundamental prerequsities to foster a culture of national integrity and to carry out a successful campaign against corruption?

The Machap by-election and the current Ijok by-election have seen such blurring and eradication of distinctions among the three entities of government, political party and personal interests reaching an unprecedented level in the past 50 years. Continue reading “Abdullah must work trebly hard in next few months to have credibility to talk about Mission 2057”

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Ijok by-election: Khir Toyo arrested and charged for corruption if ACA independent

Khir Toyo arrested and charged for corruption if ACA independent

Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo would have been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and charged for corruption in connection with the Ijok by-election in Selangor if the ACA is an independent and professional body.

This is because even before the Ijok by-election nomination tomorrow, money politics to buy votes have started with the announcement by Khir Toyo of RM36 million for various development projects in the Ijok constituency.

Instead, the ACA had acted “blind, deaf and mute” to such money politics and corrupt practices to buy votes in the by-election.

This is what I said in Parliament this evening during the winding-up of the Prime Minister’s Department in the committee stage debate of the 2007 Supplementary Estimates.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Nazri Aziz disputed my charges as being unfair to the ACA and openly asked the ACA officers on duty in Parliament to take note of my strictures. I stood my ground. Continue reading “Ijok by-election: Khir Toyo arrested and charged for corruption if ACA independent”

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KDM the new underclass in Umno’s Sabah Baru

KDM the new underclass in Umno Sabah Baru

Sabah is in the throes of a political crisis although it is publicly
denied by the Umno and Barisan Nasional leadership, whether state or national.

There is for instance a lot of play-acting over the shock abrupt resignation of Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat as Sabah Deputy Chief Minister and State Tourism Minister on Friday, with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi fully endorsing the Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Musa Aman, in saying that Chong’s resignation was “not really a loss” because it would not weaken the Barisan Nasional state government.

In other words, although Chong was Deputy Chief Minister and one of the key digits in the in the conspiracy and strategy to establish Umno hegemony in Sabah in the early nineties, he is now completely irrelevant and expendable.

It is no surprise therefore that Chong had expressed his “hurt” at the Prime Minister’s dismissive comments about his resignation, telling Oriental Daily News today that the Prime Minister’s comment had wounded his dignity and offended the people of Sabah and the Chinese.

Kah Kiat had maintained that he was quitting the Sabah Cabinet “as a matter of principle” — implying basic and fundamental differences with the Sabah Chief Minister.

The media have reported that ties have been strained between the chief minister and his deputy for some time over numerous issues like Musa’s plans to develop Pulau Sipadan island off Sabah’s east coast, with Malaysiakini citing as ” the final straw” their differences over Chong’s proposal to build a huge statue of the Goddess of Mercy in Kudat as a tourist attraction.

It is clear however to astute political observers that Chong’s resignation is only the tip of the iceberg of what is politically wrong and even rotten in Sabah after Umno’s entry in Sabah and 13 years of Umno and Barisan Nasional control of the Sabah State Government and that the issues at stake are even bigger than Chong’s differences over “principle” with Musa.

What is the cause of the Sabah malaise and crisis? Umno has successfully made its foray into Sabah and established its unquestioned political hegemony in the state in less than a decade, but in the process, it has broken every pledge it had made on entry into Sabah. Continue reading “KDM the new underclass in Umno’s Sabah Baru”

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Kah Kiat’s resignation as Sabah DCM no real loss?

Kah Kiat resignation as Sabah DCM no real loss

Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat’s resignation as Sabah Deputy Chief Minister is “no real loss” to Barisan Nasional. With or without Kah Kiat, it makes no difference to the BN in Sabah.

This is the clear message from the public reaction of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as reported by the Star today:

Chong’s exit not really a loss, says Abdullah

The resignation of Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat is “not really a loss” because it will not weaken the Barisan Nasional state government, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The Prime Minister said Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman had informed him of Chong’s intention to step down, saying he wanted to rest.

He added that there was no other reason than that given by Musa.

“So as far as I am concerned, he will get his wish. Let him rest,” he told reporters yesterday after launching the Conference to Improve the Delivery System of Government Services To Improve the Development Process As Well As Property Management.

Abdullah said Chong’s resignation was not unexpected because the latter had expressed his desire to step down a number of times.

On whether the resignation was a loss, Abdullah said; “Not really a loss in the sense that I don’t think the government of Sabah is going to be weakened with him not being around. But anyway we would like to say ‘thank you’.”

Has Kah Kiat become so irrelevant and inconsequential in Barisan Nasional and Sabah politics as to be shrugged off so ignominously by both the Prime Minister and the Sabah Chief Minister? Continue reading “Kah Kiat’s resignation as Sabah DCM no real loss?”

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Suspend LKIM chairman and DG until probe of mutual corruption allegations

Suspend LKIM chairman and DG until probe of mutual corruption allegations

The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had pledged an “all-out war against corruption” when he succeeded Tun Dr. Mahthir Mohamad in October 2003, but his actions had never belied his word.

Ironically, Abdullah gave two illustrations of the vast gap between his rhetoric and action on the anti-corruption front when he spoke to the press at the launching of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy (MACA) on Thursday.

Firstly, Abdullah lashed out at the Chairman and Director-General of the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) for their public quarrel over allegations of corruption.

LKIM Chairman Adam Abdul Hamid had lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) that the agency’s top management had spent RM55 million for its Kg Geluncur complex in Kuala Kedah without open tender.

Adam told New Straits Times (10.4.07) that the complex in Kg Geluncur, completed last year at a cost of RM29 million was unable to be used as the jetty was 10 metres from shore.

As a result, the same contractor was awarded a sand-dredging project to allow sea water to reach the jetty. The fee — RM100 per cubic metre of sand removed when PWD rate is RM30.

There was also a RM8 million land-levelling contract and a RM17.8 million contract to build a 1.8 km access road to the complex — all awarded without open tender.

The LKIM management, under its director-general Datuk Annas Khatib Jaafar, had on its part lodged an ACA report against Adam, who is also chairman of Majuikan Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of LKIM, for secretly giving an offshore loan of 10 million euros (RM46 million) last year.

Abdullah should have suspended both the chairman and director-general of LKIM until outcome of investigations into the mutual allegations of corruption instead of asking them to sweep their differences “under the carpet”, wanting the duo to “sit down and resolve the matter among themselves” rather than going public and making “the public lose confidence in the government”. Continue reading “Suspend LKIM chairman and DG until probe of mutual corruption allegations”

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My worst fears confirmed – Abdullah does not read letters sent to him

My worst fears have been confirmed — the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi does not read letters sent to him or get a briefing on them and these letters disappear into the “black hole” of the Prime Minister’s Department.

When Abdullah was asked yesterday about a Japan Times report which allegedly implicated Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud in a 1.1 billion yen (RM32 million) timber export kickbacks, he said no formal reports had been presented to him.
However, he said, he had asked the ACA to investigate the matter.

This is most shocking indeed as it was exactly a week ago that I had sent him an urgent letter to draw his attention to the Japan Times report asking him to personally reply in Parliament on Monday in the winding-up on the Royal Address debate in view of the recent snowballing of serious corruption allegations against high-profile leaders in his administration.

If the Prime Minister does not read and is not bothered to get briefed about an urgent letter from the Parliamentary Opposition Leader on serious corruption allegations against high-profile leaders in his administration appearing in the international media, gravely undermining Malaysia’s image and international competitiveness, who will expect the Prime Minister to have time for anyone who send him letters, petitions or appeals as their hope of last resort for justice? Continue reading “My worst fears confirmed – Abdullah does not read letters sent to him”

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Nazri’s reply in Parliament completely unsatisfactory and unacceptable

The reply by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datu Nazri Aziz in the final winding-up of the debate on the Royal Address yesterday is totally unsatisfactory and unacceptable, particularly on four public interest issues of national importance.

As Nazri’s reply blatantly disregarded the paramount principle in nation-building which had recently been enunciated by the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, MCA Ministers are challenged to speak up in Cabinet to dissociate themselves from Nazri’s reply on four important public interest issues:

  • Brain drain with migration overseas of one to two million of the best and brightest of Malaysian sons and daughters for over three decades;
  • Education Minister and UMNO Youth leader, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s keris-wielding at the recent Umno Youth assembly in the context of rising chauvinist and extremist demands and pressures;
  • Rejection of the Inter-Faith Council proposal;
  • Worst corruption crisis in nation’s 50-year history.

Nazrin’s keynote address on “Prospects and Challenges of Nation-building” at the Young Malaysians’ Roundtable Discussion on National Unity and Development in Malaysia last week must be compulsory reading for Cabinet Ministers and all Barisan Nasional MPs — and they should be made to pass a test to ensure that they fully understand Nazrin’s speech and grasp the message of the Raja Muda of Perak.

The most important message of Nazrin’s keynote address is that Malaysia belongs to all Malaysians equally, and all have an equal right and responsibility to take ownership of their country and its future, as represented by this declaration: “Malaysians of all races, religions, and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun.”

Unfortunately, Nazrin’s message that all Malaysians must have an equal place under the Malaysian sun has not been understood by Nazri, Barisan Nasional Cabinet Ministers and MPs particularly from the MCA. Continue reading “Nazri’s reply in Parliament completely unsatisfactory and unacceptable”

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Another high-profile corruption allegation – Sarawak CM re 1.1 billion yen timber export kickbacks

Another high-profile corruption allegation - Sarawak CM re 1.1 billion yen

I have today sent an urgent letter to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to personally reply in Parliament on Monday in the winding-up on the Royal Address debate on high-profile corruption allegations in his administration.

I also drew his attention to the Japan Times report last Thursday, which I described as “the latest instance of more and more adverse international reports about corruption in Malaysia, such as the adverse rankings given to the country by the corruption surveys of the Transparency International and the Political and Economic Risks Consultancy (PERC)” which warrant urgent action by Abdullah to salvage his reform agenda and pledge, in particular to make ant-corruption campaign the top priority of his administration.

The Japan Times report of March 29, 2007 referred to 1.1 billion yen (RM32 million) timber export kickbacks involving companies connected to Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Taib Mahmud and his family.

The Japan Times report is reproduced as follows:

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Wood carriers allegedly hid 1.1 billion yen income
Kyodo News

Nine Japanese shipping companies that transport lumber from Sarawak, Malaysia, allegedly failed to report some 1.1 billion yen of income in total during a period of up to seven years through last March, sources said Wednesday, alleging the money constituted kickbacks to Sarawak officials via a Hong Kong agent.

Such tax irregularities have occurred as the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau determined the companies’ remuneration payments to Regent Star, a Hong Kong agent, which has a connection with Chief Minister of Sarawak Taib Mahmud and his family, were rebates, not legitimate expenses, the sources said.

Although the Hong Kong agency did very little in the way of substantive work, the shipping companies are believed to have used rebates as a lubricant to facilitate their lumber trade, the sources added. Continue reading “Another high-profile corruption allegation – Sarawak CM re 1.1 billion yen timber export kickbacks”

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Highway police extortion

Highway police extortion

Received the following email on the despair and anger of a law-abiding and productive Malaysian professional:

I would like to relate an incident that happened to me and my family on the North-South Highway as we were driving back from Kuala Lumpur to Penang on Monday 2 April 2007. This incident had left me with a feeling of disbelief, anger and fear.

My wife, our 2-year old son and I had just completed an extended week-end trip to Kuala Lumpur. I was driving and we started our journey from Kuala Lumpur at about 7.40 pm. As we approached the Tapah rest area, there was a police roadblock, maybe about 100 metres before the exit to the rest area. This is now 10.15 pm.

I slowed down my car as we got closer, the highway had been partially closed to become a single lane. A policeman who was holding a clipboard or file or some papers appeared to look at it and then at my car. He then indicated to me to move to the roadside.

I duly moved forward and to the left of the highway. A few seconds later, another male policeman came to my car on my side. My car window had already been wound down. He asked for my driver’s license which I handed to him. He took it and appeared to copy down some particulars. I was still inside my car, I have no clue as to what he was actually doing, nor could I see his identification.

Police: Nak ke mana? [Where are you going?]
Me: Balik Penang. [Going back to Penang.]

Very soon after, he mumbled something. As I could not hear him clearly, I asked him to repeat.

Police: Nak selesai sekarang atau nak hantar? [Want to settle now or want it
(summon) sent?]
Me: Pasal apa? [What is it about?]
Police: Bawa laju, 123, Trolak. [Speeding, 123(kmph), Trolak]
Me: Tak mungkin. [Not possible.]

I was convinced, 100% sure and confident that I did not on the entire journey from Kuala Lumpur to Tapah exceed 110 kmph. I was absolutely alert and I had consciously driven conservatively that evening especially with a young child on board. Continue reading “Highway police extortion”

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Corruption allegations against Zulkipli and Johari – table White Paper in Parliament

The inability of the Prime Minister to announce the new Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director-general is proof that Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor would have been given a fourth extension as ACA chief if not for the serious corruption allegations made against him by former Sabah ACA director and whistleblower Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan.

I would have been the first to welcome Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s statement that the new ACA director-general would be announced as soon as possible if the delay to immediately fill the vacancy following the termination of Zulkipli’s contract last Saturday is because the Prime Minister is adopting a new and more consultative process for the appointment of key posts like the ACA chief such as consulting the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity and representative stakeholder organizations and NGOs concerned about national integrity..

However, there are no signs that the delay in the appointment of a new ACA chief is because the Prime Minister is adopting a more transparent and consultative process in the appointment process but because he was caught totally off-guard and unprepared to fill the post as it has become completely untenable to extend Zulkipli’s term when Zulkipli had plunged the ACA and the country into the greatest integrity crisis in the nation’s history.

Although Zulkipli had claimed that his appointment on secondment as ACA director-general and extension of his contract three times showed that the Prime Minister had confidence in him, Zulkipli’s repeated extension as ACA chief will probably go down as one of the biggest failures of Abdullah’s premiership — when a new ACA director-general should have been selected when Zulkipli’s appointment first ended under his premiership on March 31, 2004.

How could Abdullah be serious about his pledge when he became Prime Minister and during the 2004 general election to make anti-corruption the top priority of his administration and a major difference with the previous Mahathir administration when he leaves untouched the person who had headed the ACA with such lacklustre record for the last two years of the 22-year Mahathir premiership? Continue reading “Corruption allegations against Zulkipli and Johari – table White Paper in Parliament”

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Machap by-election – Abdullah/Najib must clear their name over integrity charges by former PM/DPM

Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said that the Information Ministry would counter all issues, including personal matters of national, state and local leaders, raised by the Opposition in the run-up to the Machap by-election.

In the past few decades, Barisan Nasional had been guilty of blatantly abusing government machinery, resources and funds for political party and personal gain but they had always denied it, trying to camouflage such abuses and political corruption under a fig-leaf of propriety and legitimacy.

But another unhealthy and dangerous precedent has been set, when the Deputy Information Minister blatantly flaunt the abuses of the Information Ministry to serve the Barisan Nasional campaign needs in the Machap by-election — bringing the integrity and morality of the ruling government to a new low at a time when the nation is celebrating 50 years of independence.

However, I agree with Zahid that serious allegations which had been made about abuses of power, malpractices and integrity against top government leaders should be answered in the Machap by-election.

In this connection, I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to clear their name over the charges made separately by the former Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister affecting their integrity in the Machap by-election.

At the public forum organised by Umno Kulai Besar branch on Thursday, former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad raised the issue of integrity of his successor when he said: “Some leaders, they boast, oh my son is rich… They talk about their AUD25 million home. That’s RM60 million. So strange, to have such a big house ..”

There can be no doubt that Mahathir was referring to Abdullah who must fully clarify the former Prime Minister’s questions about his integrity. Continue reading “Machap by-election – Abdullah/Najib must clear their name over integrity charges by former PM/DPM”

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Machap by-election – suspend Zahid as deputy information minister for violating NIP

Machap by-election - suspend Zahid as deputy information minister

My first reaction to the Bernama report yesterday, “Info Ministry To Counter All Issues Raised In Machap Polls”, quoting the Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the Information Ministry will counter all issues, including personal matters of national, state and local leaders, raised by the Opposition in the run-up to the Machap by-election was whether it was an April Fool’s joke.

Zahid said it was the ministry’s responsibility to explain the truth to the voters on issues highlighted so that they would not be swayed by the baseless allegations.

“Personal issues and allegations on certain leaders are disheartening. I advise Machap voters not to be taken in by DAP speakers harping on personal and private matters,” Zahid told reporters after chairing a meeting on the by-election in Alor Gajah yesterday.

I had wondered whether Zahid was playing an April Fool’s joke on the voters of Machap and the people of Malaysia because no minister or deputy minister had ever been so blatant in 50 years of Malaysian independence in declaring or admitting about the misuse of government machinery, resources and funds in a general election or by-election to support the candidates of the ruling coalition.

For the first time, a deputy information minister had openly confessed that the Information Ministry is part of the election or by-election machinery of the Barisan Nasional, with the entire resources of the Information Ministry commandeered in the campaign of misinformation and disinformation against the Opposition candidate.

This is most shocking, for it marks another low point in the deterioration of public integrity and morality of the Abdullah premiership — where the distinctions between government, political party and personal interests are completely blurred and destroyed, which is the root cause of the galloping corruption and power abuses in the country. Continue reading “Machap by-election – suspend Zahid as deputy information minister for violating NIP”